2023-08-13 04:55:00
The Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, suffered a severe blow when he had to accept the resignation of his closest collaborator, the Minister of Social Development, Giorgio Jackson, his personal friend and former student leader, to whom the opposition was preparing to announce a second political trial for his responsibility in a case of direct transfer of public funds to foundations made up of members of his political party and other pro-government groups.
“After holding a meeting with the president, I have made the decision to present my resignation indefinitely,” said Jackson, leader of the Democratic Revolution, the most important formation of the Broad Front, part of President Boric’s government coalition.
“I came to this conviction after reflecting a lot and verifying that Chile is tired of seeing us fight, that there are excuses for being able to advance in a pension reform, in the necessary reforms to have a care system, of being able to advance in the reduction of waiting lists (in hospitals), of security issues”, has argued the Chilean politician.
“Chile and the inhabitants of our country come first. I accept the resignation of Giorgio Jackson as a gesture of generosity to help improve the political climate and advance reforms. As Giorgio himself said, people are tired of fighting. It is time to agree, ”Boric said on his part when announcing his departure from the government.
The now ex-minister submitted his resignation late on Friday after the opposition announced its intention to present another constitutional accusation against Jackson, for his responsibility in the so-called “agreements case”, a direct allocation of $530,000 to the Democracia Viva foundation. , led by members of the Democratic Revolution and created shortly after Boric’s electoral victory. The “agreements case” arose after uncovering the direct allocation of state funds for 530,000 dollars to the Democracia Viva Foundation, directed by members of the Democratic Revolution and created shortly after Boric’s electoral triumph, which supposedly would carry out work in vulnerable neighborhoods for the who lacked experience.
With the passage of time, similar situations arose in almost all of the 16 Chilean regions, with amounts involved exceeding 16 million dollars that were transferred from state entities to foundations or social organizations in which some militants of the Democratic Revolution also appear linked. .
The opposition Republican Party and Chile Vamos also conditioned their willingness to negotiate key social initiatives for the Boric government, such as a fiscal pact or a pension reform, on Jackson’s departure from the cabinet, which in practice kept the government semi-paralyzed. .
The Republican Party announced almost immediately upon learning of the resignation that it will no longer present the accusation because, it added, the minister assumed with his departure his political responsibility in cases of irregular transfers.
Jackson and Boric forged their political career together when they were student leaders. From there they jumped to Congress, both as deputies, and then to the government, when on March 11, 2022, Boric became the youngest president to assume the presidency of Chile, at 36 years of age.
Jackson is also considered the architect of the irruption of the new left in Chile.
In 2014, he entered the Chamber of Deputies, along with Boric and the current government spokesperson, Camila Vallejo, also a former student leader, and the three were re-elected in 2018.
He was one of the founders in 2017 of the Broad Front, the coalition that brings together small left-wing parties and with which Boric won the elections against the far-right José Antonio Kast.
Jackson held two ministries: he was Minister Secretary General of the Presidency, between March and September 2022, and then headed the Social Development portfolio until his resignation.
His departure is probably the biggest blow Boric has received since he came to power in March 2022, and represents a heavy defeat for a political generation that erupted in massive 2011 protests in favor of free, quality public education.
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