Marco Enríquez Ominami speech in Santiago, October 12, 2012



Thank you, thank you and thanks to you all for being here.

I greet the creators of this event, Alfredo and his team, Marisela, Gonzalo Egas, Bruna, to Pesutic, musicians first. To each and all I ask you a round of applause for talent. Thanks Alfredo for talent, Marisela, and all of you.

I greet the candidates and candidates from the Progressive movement, which are more than 1,100 courageous men and women who walk the streets without calculation. Thank you for your courage, thank you for the sacrifice. I greet the socialist Allende. I greet the Mapuche Party. I greet our friends in Peru, Romulo Pizarro, Peruvian former minister, Antonio Nariño of Colombia, former governor and chairman of the Progressive Party of Colombia, who have come from afar to greet them.

Alejandro Vannelli and greet Larrese Ernesto, the first artist couple who married in the province of Buenos Aires. The first equal partner. Greetings to all our friends coming from afar, Chile, out of Chile to join. Thank you, for those who follow us online, on television, all artists who ordered and the political parties that sent us their greetings in writing. Then I greet all progressives Chile that are gathered here by the hundreds.

Edgardo Yes, yes Progressive, accept the proclamation of being a presidential candidate for the next period. Thanks, yes. I agree!

I do based on a Republican ethics. That is my obsession, and yours, to move from a society of privileges to a society of opportunity. In an egalitarian society. I'm not here to make promises. I do not come to repeat the obvious, we already have a few repeating promises we already know. I propose tonight a pact, a different covenant, a covenant in a society where I wanted, like you, that the rich pay more than the poor, the young help the old, and healthier helps the sicker.

I will work until the end of my tether, to the limit of my strength to make Chile a more just and therefore larger. A country without outrageous, irritating injustices we know. Chile is a great, wonderful country, but where pituto, the name and money make a difference. We have the world's most expensive universities, but we have the best. We have three million compatriots who live every day with nine pesos. Yes, I have bad diction, but this time you heard right: three million compatriots who live every day with nine pesos. Where 72% of our colleagues live on less than luke 350 per month. Where four families 20% of GDP spread. No more no less.

Yes, progressives, it will be difficult. We'll have to work a lot. And many and not easy. Nobody said it was going to be easy. It was not 2009, it will not be now. Inequality increases, not decreases. Chile has gold in inequality. Here are all assets are privatized, has created a society pitutos as I said. Participation is canceled every day. Chileans have to resort to the courts to operate thermoelectric plants. The courts have become the refuge of citizens asking that the rules are respected.

Santiago exercises patronage over the regions. I know many come here from different regions. Here came a fellow Antuco, Neltume came here there were several, I want to tell you, I know you come from different parties. Therefore, it is true, the economy has grown, budgets have increased. Criminal and unjust would not recognize Chile's budget has increased. In education there is more money, more money than yesterday true. In health there is more silver than yesterday? True too. However we remain a deeply unequal country. The problem is not merely create budgets. Are we going to increase? Of course we are going to increase. It is changing the rules. Because the obstacles are the rules. The obstacles are the rules, which are going to change. For Santiago de Chile is a party, and not only the capital of Chile. For the economy is not a disgrace for Chileans. To help the economy to grow but also to leisure and recreation. Leisure and recreation are the basis of culture. No recreation, no sense the economy.

Education, that is the first, second, and third of my obsessions. And it will, in my government, the first, second, and third priority. And it will free education. Yes, free. I believe in free education for all. I do not believe in the prisons of the fees that banks have created. Too many students who are incarcerated paying dues. Yes, and we will demonstrate that it is possible. Chile does not want only the best students from Latin America, but the best companion. We have to get better with our neighbors, and thus move forward relations with neighboring countries, including Bolivia. And we will solve it with courage, because you can.

I do not want that old age is a conviction. I do not want that couples who have different orientations are discriminated against. I do not think that the form of the family make a difference. I think all families as constituted. All families are alike, whether single, whether heterosexual, are lesbians, gays are. All alike.

Also I want a new deal for the disabled. I refuse to wait on television once a year the charity of Luchetti, companies, for the Telethon. The disabled deserve more. And you can too ... and also want, in a modern considered agenda respect for animals. I also believe that how we treat animals, we treat ourselves. I want to say that we're going to play, the progressive and independent, we were going to play hard. And we will compete with many candidates and many candidates. To change everything. Who says he wants to change everything lies. I propose not only solutions, I propose that we build together. Only I can not, alone we can not.

We have come to change, but still wanting to change the rules of society, we have to explain where it comes from. And I, like you, I come from a history. Full of uncertainties, full of errors. And I'm proud of most of these episodes of my life. My conviction, I propose changing Chile. My weapons are my principles, my family, my home. My family is my starting point. And tonight I salute my mother, Carlos, who is out of Chile and who know that we are watching. My daughters, Fernanda and Emanuela, that I want the same, and my wife, Karen.

Progressives traveled to transform Chile without trunks, untethered, without luggage, without fear. And stations. We will see in the first round. The primary will be the first round. A large primary the first round. See you in 2013 in the first round. There is nothing healthier than the first round with the primary. Time passed this dialogue. From here, in this theater, I want to give a hand to history. This is not a theater we've been here, we have fallen here by accident. We were passing and we realized that there is Caupolicán Theatre. In this theater, they spoke a few spoke giants minorities. Here they discussed trade unionists, of which we are heirs. He spoke the Popular Front to defend the secular state, I speak the Young Fatherland to defend freedom. He spoke Popular Unity, with ideals of equality. And the Coalition spoke to defend human rights. I want to be the president of change with all and everyone, wherever they come from. Wherever they come from. According to principles of social transformation. According to progressive convictions. I want new rules, new rules and new leaders is required.

The coalition believes that because he ruled 20 years should continue governing. Right she told us she actually going to be able to rush the changes, and failed. Some in the coalition expect an airplane, and I'm here with you now. Others are in their ministries with a calculator, to see when they leave the heated pool. No, I tell you now. It is now launching. This is the time to accompany their candidate and advise the street, this is the time to tour Chile. No calculations. Believe me, progressives have traveled 250 communes. Six times Chile. I have traveled with many of you. And we have built a party. Yes. When no one wanted a party, we did. And here is the progressive party with more than 3000 people. Here is the progressive party that no one wanted to exist. Here you are. Thank you!

Progressives believe a party, because we believe in politics. Because in 2009 we were accused of not believing in politics. No no no. We believe in politics. We believe in politics. And again, I want to say to the young people who are here and those who are watching us on the Internet: political messes with you. The policy of Chile, where smoking and smoking. The policy of Chile, until what time dancing. Chile's policy regarding the minimum wage. The policy of Chile, is what can be done in life. It is politics that must be changed. It is not the policy that should be rejected. And we've come to change it now.

I want to say that the most important text of a society is its constitution. And we propose a new constitution. And when one proposes a new constitution, not proposed the guillotine, or propose beheadings. He proposes a way that terrifies the Mercury and powers. Do not panic. Mercury Do not panic, do not panic powers. Yes, the new constitution is possible, there are ways for that, and we will convince you that we do not intend demolish everything. Of course, what progress has been made, will be consolidated. But a new constitution is required because it is illegitimate. Because it is also insufficient. Because it delivers much of our soul, our natural resources, to logics that are not correct. This is not to lose what has been achieved, it is changing, and what we changed.

I want a future constitution, a constitution not last. I want to say that the new constitution will be what Chileans decide. And that will be my constitution. The constitution is the text defending minorities, not just the majority. The constitution is the one that decides what the rules are. And in the constitution are the major problems of Chile. Hence the relations between state and market, between the state and the church, between man and woman, between the individual and society are decided. Between the worker and the company, between copper and income between lithium and income. Between Santiago and regions, growth and sustainability. This is the constitution we want, which reset the rules.

They say it is not responsible. And was responsible let forty-five thousand students repeat last year for their beliefs? He is not responsible. Was the press responsible when it awarded Mayor Pablo La Polar as the best entrepreneur of the decade, and until recently was in prison as there swindled a million dollars? Is it responsible to a country that has the most expensive universities, and none of the best in the world? Is it responsible to a country where farmers have no land and water, and some have water and have no land? The waters are not Chilean. The waters are today, as you know, ownership of large sectors of agricultural exporters and some companies. I want the water for Chileans, water for agriculture.

The Alliance, the coalition, are today a coalition that does not believe in education reform. It is very simple, because many of the ministers are the owners of the universities, and this government will not make any serious reform. And the Coalition says that now they will do things they did not do before. When they were united and energized did, and now they are tired and divided tell us that they will do. It is not true. They can not do because they are not convinced.

I want more and I want free education, because I disagree with President Piñera. He tells us that the children of the rich can not study free. For me, the son of rich is not rich, it is the child's father is rich, and I want the rich kid dad pay more taxes than the parents of poor children. Point! Why Progressives believe in education? Because liberals have Chile tour. For progressives we know that copper is important, but we see more determination in young people who want opportunities in copper, and I believe in young people. And so I want quality education, not only quality, I want to be inclusive. I want the children to study lullabies to the children of the patterns. I want the children of workers studying the patterns. With the children of the patterns. I want everybody to integrate. That's quality education. Not only learn English and math. To study together, we must be equal before education.

Education means that when we are more educated are more demanding. We endure less politicians, when we are more educated earn more. When we are more educated workers work better. When we are more educated no better infrastructure. When we are more educated more public policies and better public policy. When we are more educated there is less crime. When we are more educated are fewer teenage pregnancies. That is what education is all about, it's about making Chile a more just country.

If we change the rules. Three things: free education, as part through tax reform, as part of a new constitution. Effectively against the Conservatives. But let me tell you, we are at an impasse. We are blocked. We have elected and reelected. Chileans wanted alternation but elected Piñera. Legitimately he won the election. And we discovered that was, not to be pejorative, a small problem. To be smart.

We are at a crucial moment. This is a crucial moment. As never before we have different electoral rules. There are municipal elections. And I said in 2009, are to avecinar difficult times for politics and for politicians. What we said in 2009? Remember: free public education. Said tax reform. Said moderate, tempered federalism. HidroAysén said no, said new constitution. What they said? That the issue of education, free public education raised, and that populism was not interested the Chileans. Go the finding. Sebastian Pinera said, and said in a debate, and said progressives, a point of growth was more than a tax reform. And he goes to two tax reforms. We were told that the regions were very good. Major conflicts erupted in Magallanes Freirina in Calama, in Aysén. As we say, the country, we continue to believe with more conviction than ever, more confident that change is coming.

The change did not come with Sebastian Pinera and will not reach the hand and waited twenty years. Today, to be ending, more confident, more confident than before. And I'll say three thousand times more than in 2009. together, forgiveness, accompanied eighty thousand times more than in 2009. With all you want to say that we will succeed. And we will succeed at the hands of Francisco Bilbao, who defended the secular state. Jose Miguel Carrera, José Miguel Infante, who defended the regions. Pedro Aguirre Cerda, who defended public education. Edgardo Enriquez, former minister of education of Salvador Allende and my grandfather, from whom I learned the importance of public education. Rafael Agustin Gumucio and Salvador Allende, who defended democracy.

In this act we are at times that the anniversary of the plebiscite is met 88. And on this day we all said no to dictatorship and today we told you not to lie. No abuse, no to privatization of our lives, not calculation. But today we are a few hours another anniversary is met: the anniversary of the death of Miguel Enríquez, killed in combat a few years make. My father, whom I never knew, I saw for the first time in image, moving here in the Caupolicán Theater, so ask for a big round of applause for the memory of that theater.

Finished. Here, other minorities have been giants. Giants minorities. We were told that, as in the year 80, when it has not managed to fill the theater to reject the 1980 constitution, we would not fill this theater, and here. And here you are. It's posible. The future is now. I want progressivism, the reunion of two agendas, distribution of wealth and justice can create, sustainability, Manuel, are met. Ecology and liberalism must move forward together. We must move forward together. Because we think, all that is required for sustainable growth.

I end by saying that we must work hard, and I would ask you not to loose, it will not be easy. It will not be easy. They are hard days. We have fewer resources, are newer, but we have more energy, and we can look in the eye to all Chileans. I conclude by saying two very simple ideas: Viva Chile, comes change. Thank you!
