A political scenario that was not predictable a year ago is the one that precedes the municipal elections next October in the Ñuble region.
The investigation in the framework of the Current Accounts case came to “disorder” the map a little in some communes, truncating the possibilities of re-election of two mayors, and limiting the projection of a third, also moving the balance of political balances in favor of Chile Vamos, and especially, National Renewal.
Mayors César Figueroa (ind.), of San Ignacio; Manuel Pino (UDI), from Ñiquén, and Guillermo Yeber (ind.-DC), from Bulnes, are being prosecuted for treasury fraud and bribery, and various precautionary measures were applied to them, including preventive detention.
This led to the respective councils electing alternate mayors, resulting in the three new communal heads all from RN.
In this way, nine of the ten authorities that Chile Vamos currently has in the territory are from this community, which will clearly influence the upcoming elections on October 27.
RN with advantage
“In the case of National Renewal, we have managed to obtain three of the three mayors who have had to be replaced due to the Current Accounts case, and that has been on the basis of work, and the capacity of our communal authorities, which finally “They have realized that the most sensible thing is to have people from the commune, people with spirit, hard-working people, and that they are finally trying to change the lifestyle, and also the type of administration in each of those communes,” said the regional president of RN, Rodrigo González, who highlighted that they currently have the best position.
“At this moment we have practically more than a third of the municipalities in the region. So we really want to be able to at least maintain that. We are very interested in convincing former mayor Sergio Zarzar, in Chillán. We asked him, we were with him a couple of days ago, asking him once more to consider being a candidate. We believe that he might have the first option in Chillán. The next election, we believe, will be a very political election, and it will also have a lot of impact in a sector due to the analysis of the government’s results. And on the other hand, there are also figures who are going to be important in each of the sectors, considering and thinking that the Presidential elections are very close,” he stated.
“Corruption happens through people”
From the UDI, its regional president, Isabel Troncoso, believes that the Current Accounts case will not have a major impact on the results of the next municipal elections.
“The issue of corruption does not go through political parties, it goes through people. I believe that to be corrupt one is born or made in the middle of the road, if at home they were not instilled with the values and moral principles of which their parents had the duty to do so, so I believe that a person Corrupt will always be corrupt, regardless of the position they occupy. I think this is not going to affect anything at all, I hope that people really elect people who are more honest, who are transparent, who are not turncoats, because suddenly there are people who claim to be honest, who claim to be transparent, but everyone “The world knows that behind or under the table they are doing things that do not correspond,” he asserted.
“We have all reacted the same”
From the ruling party, the regional president of Social Convergence, Francisca Leyton, mentioned that “corruption is a breeding ground for demagoguery and authoritarianism, because it damages institutions and people’s trust in them, fueling the feeling of abuse and weakening the value of the public as a way to the common good. Thus, it strengthens the image of a useless and spurious policy,” she expressed.
He added that “the parties have an enormous responsibility to combat corruption. First, the duty to denounce its own militants. Second, commit to anti-corruption legislation. Unfortunately, not all parties agree on these points. From the right, more and more people appear linked to treasury fraud, embezzlement and bribery. Only in Ñuble, some of those processed in the Current Accounts case are ex-UDI. On the other hand, not everyone is willing to strengthen the legislation. It is a matter of seeing, for example, how the parliamentarians of our region voted for the project to lift banking secrecy,” he highlighted.
According to Leyton, “the 2024 municipal elections may be the time to give a clear signal. First, parties can exercise greater control over whose cards they hold. But more relevant, due to its immediate effects, is that citizens have the opportunity to exercise a responsible and informed vote: review the candidates’ parties and not just look at the people and wonder how their sector has acted in the face of corruption. People must overcome disaffection and recognize in their vote the possibility of changing things a little. “It is easy for people to look for which party leads the corruption ranking in Chile,” she mentioned, adding that “from Convergencia Social we have committed to highlighting the probity standards of our candidates at the forefront.” We will seek unity among the ruling parties, having this principle as a bridge of encounter. This seems fundamental to us, since in our region there are even more municipalities being investigated. We will offer a democratic alternative at a time when others are seeking sectarianism, instrumentalization of public service and playing for a tie that does not exist. Because in this matter, the Frente Amplio and the right have acted diametrically differently. “We are not going to give up on the idea of a transparent and effective republic,” he stated.
“We have failed in leadership training”
Meanwhile, the regional president of the PPD, Yesenia Figueroa, said that “we as a party deeply regret these events that tarnish political work. Those who consider municipal entities to be payers are mistaken and distort the public service work to which they are called. It is the mission of us, the political parties, to deepen the formation of leadership, and there we have failed. When we face these periods we must sharpen our gaze and avoid giving way to unscrupulous characters who leave us in such a bad position,” she asserted.
Regarding the elections, Figueroa stated that “of course this affects the next results, no one is safe, from what we see, one side or the other can fall, and in the region we have models of defrauding the municipal coffers that have been exported. to the country, which does not speak well of the territory at all. By the way, we understand that it is not an age problem, but rather a lack of construction of ideals from ethics, collaborative work and focused on looking at people’s needs. Our elected or appointed authorities are there to serve and not serve themselves,” he said.
Closeness to citizens
According to the Doctor in Administration and Public Policy, Cristian Quiroz, “although legally the judicial processes are ongoing, and therefore, the principle of presumption of innocence must be respected, from the political point of view it does have consequences that three mayors are under precautionary measures.” He maintained that “effectively, the accusations, investigations and the precautionary measure generate, on the one hand, a perception of the functioning of the control system, and on the other, deepen distrust and distance between citizens and politics,” he highlighted.
In the municipal case, he warned, “it is even more complex, since it is the gateway to public institutions, as these are the institutions closest to the community. Now, the political reading must be done not only by the electorate, but especially by the parties when establishing the standards for the selection of candidates. This implies greater rigor and a clear and concrete position in favor of probity, promoting appropriate selection mechanisms and supporting the strengthening of legal devices that allow us to anticipate breaches of probity and actions of corruption. The parties have a role to play in these matters in the legislative sphere and from the executive level,” he emphasized.
Quiroz stated that “it is necessary to understand that the legal and political areas indicated will be expressed at the electoral level. In this sense, it can be evidenced in a punishment to the political class through null and blank votes, or it can be expressed in a change in the option at the time of voting, making it a punishment vote or marking the option of whoever is perceived as an alternative of change. Without a doubt, this last option is effective in changing the course of politics. Greater citizen participation is also greater control in the exercise of office,” he stated.
For the political scientist and UdeC academic, Jeanne Simon, the fact that there are former mayors formalized and replaced weakens their impact on the nominations of candidates.
“Although they are accused of bribery and treasury fraud, I think it will not have a major effect on the candidacies of their parties, and it is likely that the mayor (s) will remain the candidate of his coalition. The perception of citizens will depend on the strategies of the other candidates,” he stated.
According to Simon, “the main effect is on politics in general and the distrust we have in our authorities. Surely citizens will look for and favor candidates who seem more honest,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, for the electoral expert, Rodrigo Landa, “there is no doubt that in those communes where the mayors have been charged with alleged acts of corruption, the political situation is more open, for several reasons. The first is that the old rule of ‘whatever has it’ is quickly questioned by other parties that may have a legitimate electoral aspiration. At the same time, the parties that are opposition see an opportunity to win in a dispersed scenario and in an election where sometimes the person weighs more electorally than the party, especially in small communes,” he stated.
On the other hand, he said, “when there are mayors who have been in office for several years, there is a greater position and degree of knowledge, a situation that fades when their terms are interrupted by judicial contingencies. Clearly, these supports are not easily transferable to other people, as is often thought,” he mentioned.
In relation to the electoral results and the commitment of citizens to the different options, Landa believes that “the new candidates to lead the communes in crisis must be very careful. We must not forget that the accused are first people, who have a life story, roots in their land and a close bond with communal life. A situation of misfortune, which may seem like an opportunity for the adversary, can become a ‘boomerang’ if it is mishandled. Let us not forget that campaigns are essentially emotional, so in a crisis scenario, feelings of nostalgia, anger, hope, a tendency towards greater ambition, among others, are combined. The strategy that each candidate occupies must be designed according to the reality and context of each commune,” she stated.
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