Caption,
The social outbreak of 2019 was the biggest challenge that Piñera faced.
Article information
- Author, Editorial
- Scroll, BBC News World
February 7, 2024
Sebastián Piñera was, without a doubt, a key figure in the recent history of Chile.
The politician and businessman presided over the South American country in two periods: from 2010 to 2014, and from 2018 to 2022.
He died this Tuesday at the age of 74 in a helicopter accident in the south of the country, Chilean authorities confirmed.
In his eight years of government, characterized by continuous ups and downs in his popularity, Piñera faced all kinds of challenges.
We review some of the moments that marked his two periods in power.
1. The first center-right president after the return to democracy
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The election of Sebastián Piñera put an end to two decades of center-left governments.
Piñera assumed the presidency for the first time in March 2010, succeeding Michelle Bachelet.
His victory in the elections against the Concertación candidate, Eduardo Frei, marked a turning point in Chilean politics.
It marked the end of two decades of government by that center-left coalition that had won every election since the end of the military regime of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) until then.
He was also the first center-right politician to democratically assume the head of state in the country in 52 years.
This milestone marked the beginning of a new era in which leaders of various ideological tendencies alternated in power, in what experts consider a sign of the evolution of the Chilean democratic system towards maturity and plurality.
Caption,
Piñera succeeded Michelle Bachelet in power on two occasions.
The beginning of his mandate was marked by Chile’s economic recovery after the impact it was still suffering from the global financial crisis of 2008, as well as the reconstruction in the central area of the country after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of February 2010.
During his first government, Piñera focused on promoting investments, creating jobs and policies aimed at strengthening infrastructure and growth.
Chile grew at an average of 5.3% annually, two points more compared to the previous government.
But the then president received strong criticism for persistent problems such as high social inequality and the shortage of public financing in the education sector, which sparked strong student protests.
2. The rescue of the 33 miners
A collapse at the San José mine, in the center-north of the country, in August 2010 left 33 miners trapped 600 meters deep.
The rescue required a long and complex engineering operation that lasted until October of that year.
Aware of the magnitude of the challenge and the international attention that the case had generated, the president mobilized all available resources, both national and international, to ensure the rescue of the miners.
Caption,
The successful operation boosted the popularity of the then president.
The incident was a key moment in the government of Piñera, who had taken office just five months earlier.
The government became deeply involved in the rescue, a decision that experts say was both humanitarian and strategic.
The president visited the accident site on several occasions, where he promised the miners’ families and the public that the government would do everything possible to save the 33.
The rescue operation, which was successfully completed after 69 days of efforts, was broadcast live to millions of viewers around the world.
The handling of the operation and its happy ending gave an important boost to Piñera’s popularity, which consolidated his leadership in the Chilean public opinion and also saw his image reinforced internationally.
On the other hand, the rescue also sparked a broader debate about the safety conditions in Chilean mines and the need for reforms in the mining industry, one of the country’s economic pillars.
After deficiencies in workplace safety regulations and worker protection were criticized, the president announced measures aimed at improving these aspects.
The incident is considered, to date, the largest and most successful rescue of miners worldwide, as well as the most publicized.
And, for Piñera, it was also the sweetest moment in his frequently turbulent 8 years of government.
The current Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, referred to that episode during the message he gave this Tuesday for the death of Piñera, whom he ordered to be fired with state funeral honors and with three days of national mourning.
Boric said that one of the moments in which Piñera “genuinely sought what he believed was best for the country” was “when he took a risk with great determination and audacity to rescue the 33 miners from the San José mine.”
3. The social outbreak of 2019
Caption,
The social outbreak in Chile lasted for approximately 5 months, from October 2019 to March 2020.
In October 2019, already during Piñera’s second government, Chile was shaken by a wave of demonstrations unprecedented in its recent history.
What began as a student protest transformed into a popular cry for a fundamental change in the country’s socioeconomic model.
During this period of unrest – called the “social outbreak” – a sector of society, especially young people, took to the streets to demand profound structural changes.
It was, without a doubt, the greatest challenge for the president in his two stages in charge of the country.
The demonstrations over the increase in Santiago metro fares evolved into a broader movement that questioned things such as inequality, the high cost of living, the privatization of essential services, the pension system and the Constitution in force since the dictatorship.
The Piñera government responded with the declaration of a state of emergency, which meant the deployment of military and law enforcement forces, unleashing long and violent clashes that in total left 34 dead and thousands injured and arrested.
The then president was widely criticized in Chile for his initial response to the protests, which included this statement rejected by political leaders and members of civil society: “We are at war against a powerful, implacable enemy, who respects nothing and no one.” .
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The social outbreak left scenes of chaos and violence in Santiago and other cities.
But after 5 days of protests, the former president asked for “forgiveness” for his “lack of vision.”
“It is true that the problems have been accumulating for many decades and that the different governments were not and were not able to recognize this situation in all its magnitude,” he said.
Along with this, Piñera announced a series of reforms that included an increase in the minimum wage and pensions, the stabilization of electricity rates and changes in the health and education system.
Many, however, saw these measures as insufficient and late, and the president’s popularity was at a minimum.
International organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights denounced the excessive use of force by security forces under his government, demanding that it guarantee respect for human rights.
Politically, the “social outbreak” prompted a constituent process that would culminate in a plebiscite in October 2020 where an overwhelming majority of Chileans voted in favor of drafting a new Constitution, a matter that remains unfinished today.
In any case, Sebastián Piñera’s legacy was deeply marked by this wave of protests that began in 2019 and his figure was inevitably associated with a period of deep social and political division in Chile.
4. Agreements and disputes in the region
At the Latin American level, Piñera’s mandates were also marked by agreements and disputes with countries in the region.
During his first presidency, in 2012, he signed with his counterparts from Colombia, Mexico and Peru the framework agreement that officially gave birth to the Pacific Alliance, at a summit that he hosted in the Atacama Desert.
This union to advance economic integration between countries and open up to Asia was seen as an initiative favorable to free markets and free trade in a region where leftist governments abounded.
Caption,
Piñera reached an understanding with leaders from across the political spectrum.
Piñera was also the first pro tempore president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), which was established in 2011 in the Venezuela of former President Hugo Chávez as a regional union without the United States or Canada.
That was a sign that, despite the great ideological distances they had, Piñera achieved understandings with Chávez.
When the Venezuelan socialist leader died in 2013, Piñera defined him as “a man deeply committed to the integration of Latin America.”
But Piñera also had to deal with litigation with neighboring countries.
Peru filed a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2008 against Chile, during Michelle Bachelet’s first term, for the delimitation of a maritime border.
The case was settled in January 2014 with a ruling that both Piñera and his then Peruvian counterpart, Ollanta Humala, considered reasonable.
Bolivia also presented a lawsuit against Chile in The Hague during the presidency of Evo Morales in 2013 for an exit to the sea, which was finally rejected.
Despite the strong differences that both had, Morales expressed his condolences on Tuesday for the death of Piñera, with whom he said he had worked “side by side on several issues.”
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