President Gustavo Petro said that “Pinochet revived” in his first reaction to the overwhelming victory of the “no” to a new constitutional text in Chile. The brief message produced a huge reaction in both Chile and Colombia. Not only because the vote was free and sovereign, but because, as they have expressed in different scenarios, the majority of the Chilean population is not a Pinochet supporter but they did not like the text.
“President Petro, of Colombia, offends the vast majority of Chileans by criticizing our sovereign decision to reject (with 62%) the draft of the new Political Constitution. Respect Chile”, said, for example, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country, Roberto Ampuero.
Mariana Aylwin, who was Minister of Education in the Ricardo Lagos government and is a recognized figure of the center-left in Chile, said: “You have to be ignorant and ill-intentioned to say this nonsense. 13 million Chileans voted and the rejection obtained 62%. It is an offense to our homeland and civic culture Mr. @petrogustavo. Being president of Colombia, surely he does not interpret his fellow citizens ».
Former Colombian President Iván Duque stated: “The Chilean people spoke on a beautiful democratic day. Good sense triumphed over ideological impositions that would forever fracture a society that has achieved important social and economic achievements.
Colombian senator María Fernanda Caba, of the Democratic Center, said: “Pinochet is dead. Like Frank. He revives the socialist imaginary to create ghosts and destroy the only possibility of being free: coherence and common sense”.
Pinochet revived. https://t.co/zixLipcXsU
– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) September 4, 2022
“Accept the popular decision”
Cambio Radical Senator David Luna said: “Mr. President, you criticized the Democratic Center for intervening in US elections. I did too. Now, with what excuse do you intervene in decisions in Chile? The self-determination of States must be respected, not criticized. Abide by the popular decision, it is your duty.
“Pinochet died several years ago,” said former presidential candidate Federico Gutiérrez. “Others want to revive it as a symbol to fill society with hatred and thus justify the supposed ‘changes’. On the other hand, dictators like Maduro and Ortega are alive and doing a lot of damage,” added the former mayor of Medellín.
President Petro’s comment contrasts with the serenity with which Chilean President Gabriel Boric reacted, who pointed out that the result of the plebiscite requires institutions and political actors to work “with more effort” in a new constitutional process.
Boric invited the presidents of both chambers to advance “as quickly” in this work.
“I take this message and make it my own, we must listen to the voice of the people,” said the president, who opted for the victory of “approval” in the plebiscite.
Among those who consider that Petro was wrong, they argue that he not only gets involved in the internal affairs of another country, but also ignores the overwhelming electoral result.
Chile rejected the proposal for the new Constitution
Indeed, with more than 99% of the votes counted, the plebiscite held on Sunday in Chile on a new Magna Carta drafted by the Constituent Convention resulted in 62.2% of votes rejecting and 37.8% of approval.
In this scenario, former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez wrote a message on Monday morning that might well be interpreted as being for there as well as for here.
“Adjustments without mess,” said Uribe. «Chile might teach that democracy demands ADJUSTMENTS for the solidity of its values. But it rejects MESSES that put it at risk », he added.
*The Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), to which El Nacional belongs, is a leading media network founded in 1991 that promotes democratic values, an independent press and freedom of expression in Latin America through quality journalism for our audiences.
