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In October, 78 percent of the Chilean population decided to reform the current constitution drafted by the military regime of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
Chile's Lower Chamber on Thursday is set to vote on a proposal determining the seats reserved for Indigenous peoples in the Convention that will draft a new Constitution.
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Opposed by the government's lawmakers, the proposal fixed a quota of 18 seats for Indigenous representatives.
President Sebastian Piñera' administration maintains the criteria of only 15 seats for Indigenous people as part of the 155 members who must form the Convention.
The Proposal requires 93 votes in the Lower Chamber and 26 in the Senate in order to be approved.
I'm just a blow-in to this special bit of Chile, but this is some beautiful news. The indigenous people who survived and thrived where the SE Pacific met the famously arid Atacama have finally been recognised officially. They also have a stunning flag. https://t.co/yTeDLHYmQN
— Chris Harrod (@chris_harrod) December 2, 2020
The meme reads, "Chango People's flag was presented. It was designed with the contribution of the Chango People National Council, which gathers Chango communities and associations from the second to the fifth regions."
Opposition figures rejected the ruling Chile Vamos (CV) coalition's position, noting it hinders the fulfillment of an agreement and the participation of Indigenous communities in the drafting process.
Indigenous people representatives stressed that their delegates should represent 12.8 percent (20 representatives) in the Convention and the Parliament taking into account the 2017 Population Census.
"A Constitution cannot be understood without Indigenous peoples. Besides being a tremendous offense to our dignity and history, it would be a total policy failure," said Rodrigo Huenchuman, the coordinator of Political Evolution (Evopoli), an Indigenous peoples' party.
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