President of the Constituent Assembly rewards Chile’s social struggles

Election of Indigenous woman Elisa Loncón as President of the Constituent Assembly rewards Chile’s social struggles

This Sunday 4 July 2021 marks a doubly historic milestone for Chile, as the Constituent Convention kicked off its first session by electing Elisa Loncón, an indigenous woman, teacher and activist as its President. GI-ESCR welcomes this election as an outstanding achievement, responding to and finally uniting the diverse struggles of the Chilean people for social, economic, cultural, climate and gender justice. Our proposal for a feminist regulation was also presented by Convention members for the functioning of the Constitutional Convention.

The architects of Chile's new constitution have elected an indigenous Mapuche woman to lead the process and replace the former one which dates back Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Elisa Loncon, a 58-year-old university professor and Mapuche education and language rights activist, was chosen by 96 of the 155 delegates, including 17 indigenous ones, who make up the constitutional body.

Elisa Loncón addresses the whole of Chile

Elisa Loncón addressed the Chilean people in Mapuche and in Spanish and made a strong emphasis on finally (re-)building the unity of the Chilean people and of all social struggles for justice: social, economic, cultural, climate and gender justice.

The spirit of Elisa Loncón's first speech coincides with the work that GI-ESCR and its partners have been carrying out in Chile to defend social, economic, gender and environmental rights such as education, housing and women's rights, among others.

Read an excerpt here:

A big greeting to the people of Chile, from the North to Patagonia, from the Sea to the Cordillera, to the Islands, to the entire people of Chile who is listening to us, here we are, to thank for their support the different groups who put their trust and dreams in the call made by the Mapuche people to vote for a Mapuche person, a woman, to change the history of this country. (...)

This force is for the whole people of Chile, for all sectors, all regions, all peoples of the native nations (...) for sexual diversity, for the women who walked against all systems of domination, (...) for a way of being plural, democratic, participatory. This convention that I am presiding over today will transform Chile into a plurinational, intercultural Chile that does not attack the rights of women, of caregivers, a Chile that cares for Mother Earth, that also cleans our waters against all forms of domination. (...) This dream is our ancestors' dream, it is becoming a reality and it is possible. (...) We have to broaden democracy and participation, to call on every corner of Chile and to ensure that this whole process is transparent.

Dr. Elisa Loncón, President of the Constituent Assembly in Chile.

Listen to Elisa Loncón’s speech here on Chilean media La Tercera website

In addition, a group of feminist Convention members also presented yesterday, in the first session of the Convention, the proposal for a feminist regulation to be applied apply to the functioning of the Constitutional Convention which GI-ESCR and partners elaborated and advocated for.

Read GI-ESCR presents with partners a feminist regulation for the constitutional convention in Chile