Hours later he had to apologize through social networks.
Chile’s Interior Minister, Izkia Siches, apologized early Thursday morning after stating that a plane with Venezuelan migrants expelled during the previous government had returned to the country with the same passengers, an accusation that generated a great political uproar.
In an appearance before the Security Commission of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, Siches launched the accusation for which hours later he apologized on his Twitter account.
“We identified that one of the planes of the expulsions that were made, for example to Venezuela, returned with the same people and that was something that we had no idea (…) with all the passengers expelled,” said the also chief of staff in his impeachment in Congress.
«If we did that, it would be the cover of (the evening paper) La Segunda on the same day it happened. So my congratulations to the previous government, because it had the capacity to cover this with earth; I don’t know how but this is something very serious,” the minister continued.
His words caused discomfort in the authorities of the government of the conservative Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022), who launched a policy of massive expulsions of migrants in an irregular situation, mostly Venezuelans, who entered Chile through unauthorized steps.
Between January and August of last year, Chile deported 547 people, while in 2020 1,365 migrants were expelled, in a policy about which the UN expressed concern.
On some flights, those expelled were publicly shown boarding the plane wearing white overalls and escorted by civil police personnel.
«Today in the security commission of the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies I issued incorrect information. For this, in a republican spirit, I apologize to Rodrigo Delgado and his team,” Siches wrote at dawn, alluding to his predecessor in office, who hours before had “absolutely” rejected the minister’s statements and requested that ” The specific background of your complaint is transparent.
Siches, a 36-year-old doctor, is not politically active, although she does have a well-known union career, both at the university and at the Medical College, of which she was its first president.
He was also a key player in the second-round presidential campaign that gave victory to leftist Gabriel Boric.
Legislators from the opposition right said they are considering filing a constitutional accusation against Minister Siches, who suspended her official activities this Thursday.
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