MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile is to become a “regional, multinational and intercultural State”, according to the new constitution

“The State will promote cooperation, harmonic integration and the adequate and fair development among the different territorial entities”.

Chile is to be defined in the future as a “Regional State, multinational and intercultural” according to the draft approved on Friday afternoon by the constitutional convention that is discussing the new constitution for the country.

The article, the first to be discussed was supported by 112 votes and 34 against plus three abstentions.

The other option that was also considered but rejected was a “Unitary Decentralized State”.

The full article approved says “Chile is a regional State, multinational and inter cultural conformed by autonomous territorial entities in a framework of equity and solidarity among all of them, preserving the unity and integrity of the State”.

This was followed by a second item approved by 150 votes and reads, “the State will promote cooperation, harmonic integration and the adequate and fair development among the different territorial entities”.

The two statements are now part of the new Chilean constitution draft, but subject to the harmonization committee responsible for the final total text and thus can admit some amendments and/or proposals.

The autonomous issue is very strong in all Chilean regions given the country's long history as a Unitary State, inherited from Spanish colonial centralism, with special consideration for geography, and with time, a rough and complicated neighborhood.