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By 71 votes in favor, 73 against and 7 abstentions, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the constitutional accusation against former Minister of Health Jaime Mañalich, who was targeted by the opposition for “having put the life and health of the population ”and“ concealment of data and lack of probity ”.
The result represents a new setback for the opposition, since although it has a sufficient majority to have approved the libel (83 parliamentarians and at least 78 votes were required), it finally gave another sign of lack of unity.
At the time of the vote, the ruling party closed ranks around Mañalich and all the parliamentarians in the sector voted against the accusation, including DC Jorge Sabag (DC). Meanwhile, the opposition ran on separate lanes and the abstentions of Pepe Auth (independent), Loreto Carvajal (PPD), Pablo Lorenzini (former DC, who had already abstained as a member of the review commission), Fernando Meza (former PR) , Gabriel Silber (DC), Jaime Tohá (PS) and Daniel Verdessi, DC bench chief, made the possibility of reaching a quorum fail.
For the Broad Front, the film is also repeated, because once again an accusation promoted from its hosts ends up condemned to failure. This happened in 2018, when they were not able to carry out the libel against the then Minister of Health, Emilio Santelices, or the failed prosecution attempt against the judges of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court the same year.
This is how they voted in the House:
Mañalich’s change of tone
The day started surprisingly, because Mañalich’s defense avoided presenting the so-called preliminary question, so they immediately got to the bottom of the libel. But it was not the only unexpected thing of the day. Mañalich asked to take the floor and, in a humble tone, far from the arrogant position that characterized his management, he offered apologies, noting that “I have made mistakes and have offended many people during my work.”
In particular, he had words for the mayors, with whom he publicly clashed during the pandemic. “I think of Mayor Cathy Barriga, whom I treated very harshly at the time, I think of Mayor (Rodolfo) Carter and (Germán) Codina, who were very active and vehement people,” said the former Secretary of State, who later became accompanied by the current Minister of Health, Enrique Paris, in the front.
Before, the radical deputy Marcela Hernando took the floor to justify the constitutional accusation. The parliamentarian made a detailed chronology against Mañalich and maintained that “with his reckless, arrogant and uncompromising actions, he put the health of the population at serious risk.” “I am absolutely convinced that the minister did not fulfill his duty,” she said.
Likewise, the doctor questioned the veracity of the Minsal’s management: “We have been lied to and I think I am not mistaken in that we are still being lied to.” “I don’t give a damn about the elaborate defense arguments (of Mañalich). If I spread the 200 pages and one to build a large sheet, I would not be able to cover the bodies of the 17,000 deceased, “he added.
As tom hanks
In turn, the former minister’s lawyer, Gabriel Zaliasnik, complained about a “political use” of the accusation, and also justified the strategy of going to the bottom and dismissing the debate over the previous question. “The (former) minister Mañalich has asked us not to go to the previous question to show his face,” he said.
Zaliasnik even compared the former minister to the movie Sully ”and the feat on the Hudson, where the pilot (Tom Hanks) had to make an emergency splashdown at the mouth in New York City saving the lives of 155 passengers.
“If this constitutional accusation is accepted, the only true consequence that will follow, because Minister Mañalich resigned four months ago, will be the civic death of citizen Jaime Mañalich,” said the attorney, adding that “there was never any concealment of information here. Let’s take off our masks and think about our children and our compatriots. There is vileness in this accusation and the values that should ennoble the public service are damaged ”.
In the intervention of the benches, the deputy Ramón Barros (UDI) opened the fires, who made a close defense of Jaime Mañalich: “We are going to vote rejection”, he advanced. The ruling party pointed to the political nature of the libel, at the insistence of the opposition with this tool, and a prosecution of the former minister for his personal characteristics.
The opposition insisted on their arguments against the former minister. Deputy Karol Cariola (PC) questioned the strategy of the former minister of Minsal, pointing out that “What kind of society is committed to generating immunity at the cost of the life of the weakest? This is unacceptable.” For his part, Deputy Ricardo Celis (PPD) pointed out that “the abandonment of traceability is a central fact”, while Daniella Cicardini (PS) pointed out “the inconsistencies in the handling of the figures, the concealment of data”.
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