Image source, Reuters Image caption,

Chileans are being asked to vote on a second draft for a new constitution after the first was rejected

By Rachelle Krygier

BBC Monitoring, Miami

Chileans are voting in a referendum to decide whether to adopt a new constitution to replace the one brought in under Gen Augusto Pinochet.

A previous draft put forward by an elected body dominated by left-wing delegates was rejected last year.

A constitutional council, this time dominated by right-wing delegates, has drafted a new, more conservative version.

But polls suggest Chileans remain divided on whether to approve it.

The drive for a new constitution started in 2019 after massive anti-government protests rocked Chile, which is normally seen as a haven of stability in the region.

The protesters, many of whom were left-wing students, demanded drastic social and political change.

After months of disruption, the conservative president at the time, Sebastián Piñera, agreed to launch a process to rewrite the 1980 constitution.

But the first draft, crafted by a constitutional convention chosen by voters, proved too radical for many.