In the spotlight: in Chile, victory for "Apruebo" in the referendum

Chileans took to the streets of Valparaiso after the results of the referendum in favor of changing the Chilean Constitution on October 25, 2020. REUTERS / Rodrigo Garrido

Text by: Christophe Paget Follow

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The Chileans voted Sunday by a very strong majority, more than 78%, for a new Constitution to replace that inherited from dictator Augusto Pinochet.

“ 

Chile said yes

 ”, headline

La Estrella

, above the photo of a protester surrounded by dancers, and waving a flag crossed out with a huge A, like “Apruebo”, “ 

I approve

 ”.

In turn

El Mercurio

covers her A single photo, a forest of Chileans seen from behind, with one of them brandishing the flag of Chile this time.

A photo which allows the newspaper to insist in title on the character " 

crushing

 " and therefore incontestable of this victory.

Sometimes with impressive peaks: 86% of the vote in Atacama, in the north, the biggest score of "yes" for a national average of 78%, reports the local newspaper

El Diario de Atacama

.

With this " 

triumph

 " notes

La Tercera

, it is the beginning of a new stage for Chile, especially since, underlines

the newspaper

, this vote is the one in which the most voters have participated since the return of the country. democracy, with a particularly important participation of young people underlines

La Tercera

.

Suddenly, affirms La Tercera: " 

It is now the responsibility of all the sectors concerned that the process which begins does not disappoint the expectations that the citizens have entrusted to this referendum

 ".

The themes of the "

Constituent Convention

"

And

La Tercera

to review " 

the main debates awaiting the Constituent Convention

 ", which must establish this new Constitution that the Chileans demand;

a convention which would be held, understands the newspaper, " 

between April 19 and May 14

 " 2021.

For the newspaper, it will be necessary to talk about social rights - health, housing, education and pensions, at the heart of the demonstrations of last year which led to this referendum.

Also on the menu according to

La Tercera

 : the reduction of presidential power, to give more - but not everything - to Congress, which could in the process go from two chambers to one;

decentralization of the country;

recognition of indigenous peoples - in South America only Chile, Uruguay and Suriname do not explicitly recognize indigenous peoples.

El Diario Financiero

for his part tempers the enthusiasm somewhat.

First by interviewing the Venezuelan writer and columnist Moisés Naim, for whom " 

some of Chile's many problems have nothing to do with the Constitution

 ".

“ 

The

Constitution

 ”, he believes,

cannot be a Christmas tree under which everyone places their desires (...)

: democracy must be protected against the excesses of populism, demagoguery and promises easy to do and difficult to do

 ”.

For this, says

El Diario Financiero

in an editorial, citizens " 

absolutely must recover the capacity for dialogue which has often been lost during a campaign which has focused more on the division than the union

 ".

Emol also

notes that the leaders of the opposition, if they " 

called for unity for the constituent convention

 ", yesterday celebrated the victory separately yesterday ...

"

What is to come will be at least as intense as what is happening. 'has already unfolded

 ”, analyze

Las Ultimas Noticias

 :“ 

we are going to move from a polarized political scenario to one that is extremely fragmented

 ”.

Death of an ELN media leader in Colombia

Uriel was killed yesterday in " 

an air and ground assault by military forces in the town of Novita

 ", the department of Choco, in the northwest of the country, reports

El Espectador

.

El Tiempo

recalls that President Ivan Duque made a " 

lightning trip to this department last week, while the Minga was held in the capital

 ",

the gathering of indigenous populations.

This is to say if this trip to the north " 

was not a trip for nothing

 ", notes the newspaper, " 

the police took for granted the capture of Andres Felipe Vanegas, alias Uriel

 ".

Uriel was

"

one of the most wanted men by the Colombian authorities

",

recalls

El Espectador

 :

responsible according to President Duque " 

for kidnappings, assassinations of union officials, harassment of populations and recruitment of minors

 ".

The various newspapers also recall that he was one of the best known faces of the ELN because of his use of social networks.

The ELN, the last recognized rebellion movement since the disarmament of the Farcs, still has, according to

El Espectador,

“ 

more than

2,300 combatants and an intelligence network, with a presence in 110

municipalities

across

the country

 ”.

Suddenly Uriel was until now " 

difficult to locate, because he moved often

 " explains

El Tiempo

 : " 

no less than 500 million dollars of reward were offered for any information leading to his capture

 ".

Venezuelan opponent Leopoldo Lopez leaks into Spain

Leopoldo Lopez, the mentor of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, arrived in Spain this Sunday.

El Universal

recalls that since April 30, 2019 and the failed attempt at a military uprising against President Maduro, Leopoldo Lopez had taken refuge in the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas.

La Voz

publishes a moving image, that of the opponent hugging his wife and two daughters.

El Luchador

recalls that the parents of the opponent " 

have Spanish nationality since December 2015

 ".

And this reception in Spain of Léopoldo Lopez does not please the Venezuelan government, which speaks in a

press

release reproduced by

Ultimas Noticias

of an " 

unacceptable action, and incomprehensible in view of the historical relationship between the two countries

 ".

For his part, the vice-president of the Socialist Party of Venezuela Diosdado Cabello calls Leopoldo Lopez a " 

coward

 ": " 

It was not a leak because he was allowed to leave.

He left because he is a coward,

 ”comments reproduced in El Universal.

On the contrary, relatives of the opponent say in

the Voz

that this departure was not negotiated.

The newspaper reproduces the comment of opposition leader Juan Guaido, for whom “

his political mentor fled Venezuela 'while making fun of his repressive apparatus

”.

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