The impeachment trial against Pinera failed in the Senate: the opposition failed to gather votes

Chile’s Senate on Tuesday rejected the removal of President Sebastian Pinera. Shutting the door to a political trial for possible irregularities in the sale of a mining company uncovered by the so-called Pandora Papers.

At least 14 senators out of a total of 43 rejected the allegation. there was an abstinence and The opposition needed a majority of 29 favorable votes. To remove the president, who will have to complete his second term as president in March next year.

Juan Antonio Coloma (UDI Senator) applauded in the Senate the rejection of constitutional charges against President Pinera, according to reports third, “I hope prudence will return, or rationality will return. The country needs to understand itself, respect institutionalism, not abuse”.

for its part, loreto carvazzali (Senator PPD) said that “it is inconceivable that Pinera is once again shielded from this charge. We do not constitutionally have a sufficient quorum to charge him.”

9:00 p.m. (local time), Upper House begins analysis of allegations against Ruler, at the start of his first term triggered by alleged irregularities in the sale of a controversial mining project in the British Virgin Islands, an investigation into the Pandora papers uncovered a scandal.

in the morning, A shortlist of representatives representing the lower house presented their arguments., a body that last week approved the continuation of impeachment with a historically fair vote (78 out of 155).

The final vote began in the afternoon, with each of the 47 senators having 15 minutes to debate in favor or against.

The Chilean senator said, “At times we hear the idiot ‘we must let institutions work’, but accusers today do not let institutions function, because they find a person guilty, without any conclusions to prove.” become,” said the Chilean senator. Claudio Alvarado Before voting against (UDI).

For his part, Senator Jaime Quintana (PPD) voted in favor: “We all knew this was not going to be a good government, but we never thought it would be so terrible, where Chile’s image abroad, something that would cement It took decades of effort, it was almost going to fall to the ground to the point of no return, and where the only hope would be in a component process”.

In the last session, which took place in the lower house, The MP remained active for about 22 hours without any major breaks., partly due to Filming promoted by opposition deputy speaking for 15 hours continuously to defend “impeachment”,

It’s about the impeachment of a president who has made the most progress in the country’s history.,

The origin of the allegation promoted by the opposition lies in Alleged irregularities in the sale of Minera Dominga – of which the Pinera family was the main shareholder – in the British Virgin Islands, just nine months after the president assumed office in his first term (2010–2014).

As revealed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), The project was sold to businessman and family friend Carlos Alberto Delano for $152 million, 138 of which was done in tax havens.,

The president, one of the greatest fortunes in Chile, has sustained in public appearances After leaving your business What was revealed in 2009 through blind trusts and in Pandora’s papers had already been investigated and debunked in 2017.

The political test comes during the final months of the mandate of Pinera, who will step down in March., and only A few days before the presidential election on 21 NovemberThe most important and uncertain election in the country’s recent history.

This is the second attempt to remove him, the most serious since the end of the dictatorship, after an alleged human rights violation attempt amid massive protests against inequality in November 2019.

(With information from EFE and Reuters)

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