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Chile constitution drafters set for crucial debate on mining and environment

Chile constitution drafters set for crucial debate on mining and environment

February 15, 2022, Santiago, Chile: Constitutional assembly members begin debating the motions to a new Constitution. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

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SANTIAGO (Reuters, April 21) – Chile’s constitutional Assembly will begin debating dozens o articles on Thursday concerning mining, water rights and environmental rights. This could change how the world’s leading copper producer regulates its production of the metal and other minerals like lithium.

The debate will start at 12:00 p.m. GMT (1600 GMT) and cover 52 articles. Overall, the proposals establish stricter environmental regulation of mining.

Articles must be approved by a supermajority of 103 members of the 154-member assembly in order to be included in the draft constitution. This amendment will be subject to a plebiscite later in the year. Articles that are voted in by a simple majority of the 154 members will be subject to further amendments.

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Despite being rebuffed by the mining industry and concerns over radical proposals like mine nationalizations, the articles would still lay the foundations for greater scrutiny and analysis of mining and its environmental impacts.

After protests against inequality in Chile in 2019, Chileans overwhelmingly voted for a new constitution to be drafted in 2020. However, opposition and political infighting have led to a decrease in support for this process. Continue reading

The assembly has until May to approve articles and July to complete the draft. The new constitution will be approved or rejected by Chileans on September 4.

If the referendum is rejected by voters, the country will continue with its current market-oriented constitution, which dates back more than three decades to the military dictatorship of Augusto Piochet.

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Reporting by Natalia Ramos, Alexander Villegas
Alistair Bell Editing

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