May 17, 2021
The counting of today’s electoral results has not yet finished [05/16]. However, everything indicates that there has been a real political earthquake in the country based on the results that will be confirmed in the next few hours.
By International Workers’ Movement (MIT) -Chile
Translation: Corriente Obrera and Workers’ Voice, IWL-FI U.S.
A landslide has occurred in the constituent elections, where the independents are currently positioned as the superior force compared to practically all of the traditional political parties’ electoral lists. The right wing has been sent into shock by these results. All signs suggest that they will not reach the ⅓ they need to stop the constitutional changes. But the right is not the only enemy of the people. The parties that have governed the country for the past 30 years and who answer to the interests of big business will have more than ⅓ (the right wing + former Coalition of Parties for Democracy).
In addition to the big business parties, the reformist parties such as the Communist Party (ex New Majority) and the Broad Front -who signed the “Peace Agreement” – will also have significant representation in the Constituent Assembly and will always try to negotiate with the parties of business in order to save Chilean capitalism, even if they have to “hand over their rings so as not lose their fingers.” But the newest phenomenon will be the independents, in particular the List of the People (LdP), which is set to send more than 20 of its representatives to the assembly. Other independents will also be elected as a result of social mobilizations including the feminist and territorial movements, etc.
In this context, there has also been a watershed moment in the election of our comrade María Rivera. With more than 18,000 votes, our comrade was the fourth most popular candidate in District 8, the largest in the country, the second most-voted candidate on the Peoples’ List and the first woman elected in District 8. In addition to María, the List of the People will also elect Marcos Arellano, a territorial leader of Quilicura.
From the beginning we have said that María Rivera’s victory is in service of the struggle for the liberation of all political prisoners. And further, that we must prepare for the start of the Constitutional Convention with a mass mobilization that demands the ouster of Sebastián Piñera, and that the Constituent Convention be declared sovereign in order to elect the country’s provisional government and call for new presidential elections.
We reaffirm that the Constitutional Convention will not be democratic. Piñera, a murderer with less than 10% approval rating, is still the head of government. Those responsible for the dozens of deaths and brutalities committed against the people are still at large and in office. We still have hundreds of comrades imprisoned in jails or under house arrest. The “Peace Agreement” is still in force and will be an enormous obstacle to real change. Thus, we have no confidence that things will change with the Constituent Assembly, but we believe that today the mass movement has achieved an important victory by rejecting a large part of the traditional politicians and parties, and by electing independent candidates and leaders from the recent mobilizations.
We want to thank everyone who voted for and campaigned for our comrade. The presence of María Rivera, a true revolutionary in the Constituent Assembly, will allow us to engage with millions of workers about the real changes that we must undertake in our country. And her position in the Constituent assembly will be crucial for promoting the mass mobilizations that will make these changes possible.
We congratulate all the MIT activists and the relatives and supporters of María for their enormous efforts in winning the election. We still have much to do. We do not believe in standing by and “celebrating democracy.” We believe that the only real possibility we have to change our country is with a revolution that puts the power, and the country’s economy, into the hands of the organized working class. We also salute the enormous support we received from our comrades in the International Worker’s League, the international organization to which we belong and the sibling parties of MIT in different countries. We reaffirm the need to build a strong international revolutionary organization to end capitalism. We reaffirm our support for the struggle of our Colombian comrades and also for the Palestinian people who are being massacred by the terrorist State of Israel.
We are in the Constituent Assembly to use this front to fight, not to negotiate agreements with the usual suspects in government.
We invite all fighters to join the International Workers Movement to organize the struggles that will come in the next period.
Up with those who fight! Immediate freedom for all political prisoners!
Out with Piñera! Jail for Piñera and all those responsible for attacking and murdering our people!
Mobilize and struggle to recover all that has been taken from us in the last 50 years!
Chile | A political earthquake: Victory for the working class and youth, María Rivera to the Constituent Assembly!
