Constitution of the Republic of Chile, 1925

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CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE

CHAPTER I
The State, Government and Sovereignty

Article 1. The State of Chile is unitary. Its government is republican and representatively democratic.

Article 2. The sovereignty is vested intrinsically in the nation, which delegates the exercise thereof to the authorities that this Constitution establishes.

Article 3. No person or assembly of persons has authority to arrogate the title or representation of the people, to usurp its rights, or to make demands in its name. Violation of this article is sedition.

Article 4. No magistracy, or person, or assembly of persons, not even under the pretext of extraordinary circumstances, is empowered to assume any other authority or rights than those that have been expressly conferred upon them by the laws. Every act in contravention of this article is void.

CHAPTER II
Nationality and Citizenship

Article 5. Chileans are:

1) Those born in the territory of Chile, excepting the children of foreigners who happen to be in Chile in the service of their government, and the children of transient foreigners, all of whom may choose between the nationality of their parents and that of Chile.

2) The children of a Chilean father or mother, born in foreign territory, by the sole act of becoming resident in Chile.

The children of Chileans born abroad, the father or mother being at that time in the service of the republic, are Chileans even for those purposes for which the fundamental, or any other laws, may require birth within Chilean territory.

3) Foreigners who may obtain letters of naturalization in conformity with the law, upon express renunciation of their former nationality. The renunciation of Spanish nationality shall not be required of persons born in Spain who have resided for more than ten years in Chile, provided that in their country this same right is extended to Chileans.

4) Those who have obtained a special grant of naturalization by law.

Naturalized persons will have the right to hold public office by popular election only after five years of being in possession of letters of naturalization.

The law shall prescribe the procedure for choosing between Chilean and foreign nationality, for the granting, denial or cancellation of letters of naturalization, and for the keeping of a register of all these proceedings.

Article 6. Chilean nationality is lost:

1) By naturalization in a foreign country, except in the case of those Chileans included in Nos. 1 and 2 of the preceding Article, who have been naturalized in Spain without the renunciation of their Chilean nationality.

2) By cancellation of the letters of naturalization, that may be reclaimed within a period of ten years before the Supreme Court, which will have jurisdiction in the matter. The interposition of this petition will suspend the effects of the cancellation of the letter of naturalization.

Letters of naturalization issued in favor of persons holding office by popular election cannot be canceled.

3) By lending aid during war to the enemies of Chile or their allies.

Those who have lost Chilean nationality for any of the reasons set forth in this Article cannot be rehabilitated except by law.

The reason for loss of Chilean nationality provided in No. 1 of this Article does not govern in those cases in which, by virtue of legal or constitutional provisions of other countries, Chileans resident therein must adopt the nationality of the country in which they reside as a condition for remaining there.

Article 7. Chileans who have attained twenty-one years of age, who can read and write, and are inscribed in the electoral registers are citizens with the right of suffrage.

These registers shall be open to public inspection and shall be valid for such time as the law may determine.

Inscriptions shall be continuous and shall be suspended only for the periods indicated by law.

In popular elections voting shall always be by secret ballot.

Article 8.