In an extremely difficult week for Chileans, amid the tragedy of the forest fires that have claimed the lives of more than 120 people in central Chile, the tragic news of the death of former President Sebastián Piñera has emerged.
After 3:00 p.m., national media and social networks reported a plane crash in the Lakes Region in which three people were injured and one was missing, the latter being Piñera. At around 4 p.m., a media outlet reported the news as true.
It was his work team that made the unfortunate event official: “We are pleased with the massive expressions of affection and concern we received in these bitter hours.” The former president died at the age of 74, leaving behind his wife Cecilia Morel , four children and eleven grandchildren.
Late in the afternoon, it was President Gabriel Boric himself who addressed the country and assured that he had already ordered the dismissal of Sebastián Piñera with state funeral honors and ordered three days of national mourning in honor of the former Chilean president in two cases. “President Piñera’s vision has helped reach great agreements for the good of the country. He has been a Democrat from the very beginning and truly sought what he believed was best for the country, such as when he embarked on reconstruction after the 2010 earthquake or when he dared to do so with determination and boldness to protect the 33 miners of the San to save José mine. Most recently in dealing with the pandemic in times of uncertainty,” said Boric.
The wind and rain that was blowing in the area at the time of the accident suggests that this was one of the decisive factors in the tragedy. So far, the hypothesis about the cause of the accident is being considered, which suggests that one of the windows of the Robinson R44 helicopter was left open, which caused the front window to fog up and disorientate Piñera, who had 20 years of experience in piloting .
In a final and heroic decision, Piñera flew to the lake so that the other three passengers could jump and save themselves. “You jump first, because if I jump with you, the helicopter will fall on all of us,” he told them, according to his sister Magdalena.
The ship’s three crew members managed to free themselves from their respective belts to swim to the shore of the lake, while the former president was unable to do so. According to rescuers who found the hull of the ship 25 meters underwater, the former president’s body was outside the helicopter. It was Assistant Prosecutor Tatiana Esquivel who stated that the cause of death was asphyxiation by submersion.
Yesterday, the body was transported by the Valdivia Forensic Medical Service, accompanied by his family, to the capital, where he will be buried from today in the old Santiago Convention Center, which remains open to those who wish to say goodbye to him. The state funeral will take place tomorrow.
When we learned of the tragedy, there were many reactions from the political leadership. Mario Desbordes, former defense minister during Piñera’s second term, assures that the former president’s most important legacy is the strengthening of a democratic center-right movement: “He knew how to govern Chile and face the biggest challenges in decades, such as the Rebuilding after the earthquake.” “And the tsunami of 2010, the rescue of the miners, the pandemic and so many other challenges that he overcame with great success.”
The deputy of the Socialist Party Jaime Naranjo He assured that, despite the fact that his governments have light and shadow, “he was able to unite the right behind his figure, something that had not happened since the elections of 1958 (…) there is no doubt that that the leadership of his government.” The second government “was characterized by the serious and massive human rights violations during the social protests, contrary to what was said above, it always had an attitude of condemnation of the Pinochet dictatorship for the serious human rights violations.”
“I deeply regret the death of former President Sebastián Piñera. “He was a great public servant and gave the best years of his life to serve Chile,” commented the leader of the Republican Party on his social networks. José Antonio Kast.
The Senator from Evopoli, Luciano Cruz ColaHe also dedicated words to the former president: “I had the honor of serving in his first administration and considering myself his friend. History will do justice to his legacy and his tireless work for Chile.”
“Despite our deep differences, we regret the tragic death of former President Piñera. We extend our condolences to his families, friends and his National Renewal Party,” said one of the former president’s main political rivals and critics. Daniel Jaduecurrent mayor of Providencia and leader of the Communist Party.
She was also visibly affected Evelyn Mattheicurrent mayor of the municipality of Providencia and possible right-wing presidential candidate: “She was passionate about finding solutions and agreements, about spaces for discussion and about making Chile a better place.” Yesterday he called on us to organize and in the Being able to help with the tragedy of the V region due to the fires (…) I was able to watch him work and couldn’t believe how he managed the amount of work. For example after the earthquake, when he was following the miners, during the pandemic (…) his second period was brutally difficult and I don’t understand how he managed to resist, he has always looked for peaceful and democratic solutions to the problems in Chile, he has never resorted to violence responded and that will probably be part of his legacy.”
The most difficult moments
Sebastián Piñera Echeñique, who governed Chile twice (2010-2014) and (2018-2022), played an important role as a right-wing leader in the country, especially when he began his first term in office after two decades of Concertación government. Parties for Democracy, the first right-wing president to come to power democratically after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
During his second period, which many of his colleagues consider to be one of the most complex, he had to face major challenges, such as the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, where he was one of the main managers of the negotiations to produce the vaccine available. for risk groups.
The social outburst also marked a turning point during his second term, as citizen mobilizations became increasingly violent, leaving the streets of several cities across the country in the midst of a nationwide strike that disrupted historic buildings, commercial spaces and public transportation. He was even one of the supporters of the peace agreement and the new constitution signed in mid-November 2018, in which the majority of political forces reached an agreement with the aim of launching a new constitutional process that would facilitate the end of the violence.
On Friday, a large turnout is expected on the streets of the capital, where the body of the deceased will be escorted by the armed forces and accompanied by the presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the Supreme Court, diplomats and foreign authorities in the country. for the funeral.