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“We have listened to the opinion of the people and the authorities and especially the mayor of Magellan, who has let us know his concern about the fact that they were in quarantine ”, explained the Minister of Health, Enrique Paris, in the covid-19 report this Sunday, to announce that, in the cities with current quarantine, there will be no special permits for National Holidays and settle the controversy of the week with regional authorities.
“This is a government that listens, that heeds what the mayors told us, what some authorities, some people have told us,” said the head of Segpres and government spokesman, Jaime Bellolio.
Neither of them mentioned the Bío Bío mayor, Sergio Giacaman, the first that raised its voice and that caused an avalanche of claims from authorities and the scientific and even business community, about how negative it would be to give authorization for family reunions in National Holidays, in areas affected by quarantine.
Through tv
On the stage for the announcement of the Government, typical of its report every three days, with the presence “online” of the Mayor of Magallanes, José Fernández, endorsed the ministerial “retraction” this Sunday. It was Fernández who was invited to join the table and not the “rebel” from Bío Bío.
The absence of the regional chief, who unleashed La Moneda for his public criticism and to whom Minister Bellolio said, in front of the whole country, that he should “correct his sayings”, did not go unnoticed.
Apparently, again, it was a way of insisting that Santiago commands.
In short, Sergio Giacaman was not invited to witness the “Cocky” that he beat his own government, backed even by the opposition, cross-cutting foolproof.
It was his victory, but they made him watch it on TV.
Deep down, Giacaman did not retreat, as “He ruled him” the government spokesman, and the local representative of the President remained firm and that, apparently, determined that he did not agree to the “clean basket” and thus the ministers Bellolio and Paris passed the bill by leaving him out of the Sunday announcement.
In the analysis, the questions arise: Who commands regions? Who’s boss who? O well Who is the boss? – in the style of a gringo series that was seen in Chile in the nineties -, the national government spokesman, Jaime Bellolio, recently assumed and with almost intact political capital, or the mayor Sergio Giacaman.
From obedient and disciplined to “rebellious”
Giacaman took office in April of last year, when he replaced the former deputy Jorge Ulloa, another mayor who received the reprimand from La Moneda, after causing the anger of Minister Chadwick who reminded him, in front of journalists, that they were late and he responded “Don’t tell me what to do”.
Just over a month after that event, Giacaman took the charge with the support of Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe, that he saw in Ulloa a political competitor at home. The same as in this past, she announced very annoyed that she was going to call Jaime Bellolio to intercede for her godson.
Sergio Giacaman during Piñera’s first government was a Social Development minister, then he went to the private world where he worked as deputy manager of community relations for the Essbio health company, until he resigned to be regional head.
Militant UDI since mid-2018, Van Rysselberghe recruited him into unionism. He left behind a recognized sympathy for Evópoli.
But, always disciplined and obedient – now empowered – he surprised with his stubborn sustained rebellion.
“My role is to represent the reality of the region with the other authorities, it would be incoherent to retract, I keep it “said Giacaman, on Saturday, reaffirming his position before the wake-up call from Minister Bellolio.
Not without leaving another question on the table: Will you maintain that attitude in the face of other situations that affect your region?
Ex-mayor respondents
Three former regional chiefs of the Bío Bío take stock of all this controversy.
Basically, they agree that no minister is the head of an intendant and that the public reprimand from the government spokesperson was a dislocation.
They were also struck by the fact that Giacaman was not invited to the Sunday Covid report. However, despite the absence of the regional chief, they agree that he was strengthened in this past and that, of the two ministers, Jaime Bellolio was very disadvantaged.
“The mayors owe their position to the President of the Republic and not to the ministers of state. Sometimes one is surprised by ministers, like these two, who have had a rude behavior, who believe that they are chiefs of the mayors. In my opinion, he should continue in office as long as he has the confidence of the President, “he said. Rodrigo Díaz (ex DC), former mayor of the second government of former President Bachelet.
Regarding who corrected who, Díaz pointed out that “he would say that the mayor Giacaman, the mayor of Magallanes, like councilors of other regions, have corrected the page of two ministers who, apparently, are not clear in which country they are living” .
Blue balance?
For his part, the deputy and former mayor of the Government of Ricardo Lagos, Jaime ToháHe noted that “this episode has served to put things in their place. The sectoral ministers they have no authority over the mayors for matters that are specific to the region ”.
“In this sense, the mayor Giacaman, with the transversal support of the citizens, has regained the place that corresponds to a mayor. It will be favored, to the extent that it applies the same line of conduct in other matters in which as a regional authority it has to enforce that condition, “said Tohá.
Finally, the former mayor Martin Zilic (DC), representative of the government of Eduardo Frei, said that a similar event never happened to him.
“The most serious thing was Bellolio’s reprimand to the mayor. That’s a blunder. More over, he says that he spoke with Giacaman and says that he is going to make excuses, he is going to modify what he said. That didn’t happen and it’s very good, ”said Zilic.
“What happened to Ulloa was also unpleasant, that is not done and there should not have been (such) reprimand. The mayor is the president of the Regional Government. Only the President of the Republic knows if Giacaman emerged strengthened or not, it depends on him ”, he added.
“Now, why did you invite the mayor of Magallanes to the report and not the mayor of Bío Bío? I really don’t know, ”Zilic said.
With water in the pool
This week, a ministerial visit to Concepción would be scheduled, with Deadpoint Surpassed or not, it is about Undersecretary Paula Daza.
On the other hand, with the political calculator in hand, there has been talk, and on a recurring basis, of the option of Giacaman resigning before the beginning of November and assuming a candidacy for deputy for Concepción.
For now, you have a blue balance in your account and it seems that there is plenty of water in the pool.
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