President of Chile Sebastian Pinera Impeached by the House of Commons on Tuesday Chile Congress, in the National Senate, decides whether to remove him for accusing him of supporting the sale of family property during his tenure.
The vote to accept the charges obtained the minimum 78 votes required by 155 members of the House of Representatives and a 20-hour marathon meeting. Sixty-seven lawmakers voted against the “constitutional allegations,” including several opposition members. Others abstained or were absent.
Like the United States and many other countries, the Senate trial is conducted after impeachment. Pinera is unlikely to be removed by the 43-member upper house. The opposition has only 24 votes out of the 29 votes required to remove the president.
The Senate’s consideration of his fate will take place during the election campaign and will replace him anyway. The first round of elections was held on November 21, and Pinera’s term of office will end on March 11. Chile does not allow the president to be re-elected.
Pandora’s Thesis-How the rich and the elite use the U.S. states to hide billions of dollars
The allegation stems from the so-called Pandora Thesis, Which disclosed the offshore financial transactions of well-known people from all over the world, including Pinella, one of the wealthiest people in Chile.
Leaked documents show that one of Piñera’s sons used an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands to sell the Dominga mining project jointly owned by his family.
The final payment for the sale of the mine in 2011 depended on the government’s refusal to declare its location in north-central Chile as a nature reserve. Despite the appeals of environmentalists, the government headed by Pinella at the time did not do so. But neither did the subsequent government.
A few years later, when investigators investigated the case, Pinera said he was not involved in the management of these companies and was not even aware of the connection with Dominga.
The President’s Office pointed out last month that Piñera’s first presidential term from 2010 to 2014 had not yet begun when the sale was agreed. The prosecutor and the court decided in 2017 that there was no crime, and Piñera did not participate. It stated that all taxes payable are paid in Chile.
The statement stated that Piñera’s holdings are now managed as a blind trust.
However, the State Attorney’s Office stated that it is investigating the case again.
In order to obtain the majority of votes required for impeachment, the Socialist Party representative Jaime Naranjo effectively paused for 14 hours and read a series of documents until Deputy Representative George Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus after the mandatory quarantine period. Able to vote in the House.
Although waiting for the results of the coronavirus test, another deputy senator voted. He sneaked into the building through the side door to avoid a health check.
The Minister of the Presidential Office Juan Jose Ossa called the impeachment “a political show, a media show. It is sad for democracy.” Pro-government representative Andrés Molina ( Andres Molina) said: “Personally, it makes me feel ashamed.”
Just before the vote, Jackson said: “Some people think that what happened in the conference hall yesterday and today is shameful. But I think it’s shameful to have a speculative president.”
© 2021 Canadian Press
