Chile to begin ‘beautiful challenge’ of drafting new constitution

New constitutional assembly in the deeply polarised nation must learn to work together and build trust, experts say.

Santiago, Chile – A feeling of widespread anticipation hangs over Chile, as the country’s newly elected constitutional assembly will be inaugurated on Sunday. The assembly – made up of a broad swath of the country’s diverse population – is tasked with drafting a new constitution that will carry the nation into the coming decades. Many are calling this a historic moment; it is the first time in history that Chile has elected individuals and tasked them with drafting a constitution. But the assembly reflects a deeply polarised country and experts say many challenges lay ahead, including most notably a need to build trust among the ideologically diverse constituents.