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A constitutional referendum was held in Chile on 11 September 1980.[1] The proposed new constitution would replace the 1925 constitution, and was approved by over two-thirds of voters.[2]
The referendum was controversial, as Chile was then being ruled by a military dictatorship, and it ensured that Augusto Pinochet would remain in power with a rule by decree until 1988, after which he was peacefully removed from power following a popular referendum.
A referendum held in 2020 after waves of popular protests approved the drafting of a new constitution. In September 2022, the proposed left-wing document was rejected, 62% to 38%.[3][4] Following a second process, in December 2023, a proposed right-wing replacement was rejected, 55.8% to 44.2%.[5] These outcomes effectively guaranteed the 1980 charter with democratic legitimacy, ensuring it would remain in effect.[6]