Chile's constitutional convention has begun debating motions for a new magna carta - one that will replace the dictatorship-era constitution many Chileans view as the source of the country's social inequality.

The constitutional rewrite was approved in a national referendum in 2020, following widespread protests in 2019 over a subway fare increase that led to emergency declarations in major cities.

Progressives in the country hope the new constitution will bring major changes in a wide range of areas, including environmental protections, water rights, Indigenous land rights, marijuana legalisation and abortion rights.

The majority of citizens elected to the 155-delegate constitutional convention represent a diverse pool of independents and liberals that reflect Chile's current political shift to the left. Once delegates have a completed draft constitution, voters will decide its approval in a nationwide referendum later this year.

Chile’s existing magna carta was enacted in 1980 during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. It formed a neoliberal foundation for a state that heavily favoured privatisation, free markets, and limited government regulation.

Conservatives wary of constitutional changes credit Chile's market-based policies with fueling decades of economic growth.

In this episode of The Stream, we'll look at Chile's constitutional convention and the issues at stake for Chileans.

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