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Around 8:40 this Monday, the lawyer for President Sebastián Piñera, Samuel Donoso, presented a letter with a self-report, on behalf of the President, before the Seremi de Salud de Valparaíso. The document was entered as a result of the controversy that arose over the weekend, after the Head of State was photographed in Cachagua without wearing a mask.
The first to announce it was the minister of the Segegob, Jaime Bellolio, in Radio Cooperativa. And, later, the Presidency issued a statement. “President Sebastián Piñera has resolved to denounce himself before Seremi, with the aim of carrying out the corresponding administrative procedure for sanitary control”, said part of the text.
In Palace they say that the idea began to haunt on Sunday night and that was the initiative of the President himself, who realized – according to the same sources – that he had made a mistake by not wearing the mask. In this way, he asked his advisers and discussed the issue with his political committee to see the convenience of presenting the self-report, which was even requested by some pro-government parliamentarians.
At that point, in any case, criticism had already arisen in the opposition. And several in the government lamented the episode, which – they acknowledge – became another of the so-called Piñera’s unforced errors, who had previously faced objections, in which his compliance with the health measures to face the pandemic was called into question. First, it was pulled photos in April in Plaza Baquedano, in the middle of the quarantine in the commune; then, in June he attended the funeral of his uncle Bernardino and asked to lift the lid of the coffin, and that same month he went to buy wines also under quarantine.
In all these facts, government authorities had to come out to give explanations on behalf of the President and even he himself “regretted” having taken a photo in Baquedano. “I got off for a couple of minutes to greet a group of police and soldiers who helped direct the traffic, I took a photo of myself and continued on my way. I’m sorry if this action could be misinterpreted, “he said on Twitter at that time, while -for not wearing a mask- he apologized on Sunday through Instagram, also posting a photograph, this time with a mask.
In La Moneda they say that on Sunday several recommended to the President to pronounce and that he made inquiries to see which was the best route. Thus, according to the same sources, he was recommended to do it through that social network, because, they say, the type of audience is less “hard” with him.
Anyway, in the Palace they affirm that the President was aware of the mistake he had made and that he wanted to amend it, especially since they open a flank series. On the one hand, the judicial, since this Monday the La Ligua Guarantee Court declared admissible a complaint filed by Luis Mariano Rendón against Piñera, cause in which he will be defended by Donoso. In addition, it opens a flank in the handling of the pandemic. This, because the Executive recognizes that the actions of the President can send a bad sign for citizens and that they do not end up complying with sanitary measures. For this reason, and to contain such a scenario, in La Moneda they maintain that they wanted to act quickly by apologizing and making the self-report, which, they say, will surely end with a fine.
In fact, Bellolio was consulted about the example that the President sets with his actions. “The President follows all measures”said the minister, adding that he already apologized and made a self-report.
