2023-04-25 20:12:43
On April 11, the former president Sebastián Piñera gave a lengthy statement to the North Central High Complexity Prosecutor, Ximena Chong, within the framework of the investigation for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the social outbreak.
It was a procedure that was carried out in two days, in the office of the former president, in the commune of Vitacura.
This, regarding the complaints filed against him by former senator Alejandro Navarro, together with Human Rights organizations.
After the procedure, prosecutor Chong maintained that the former president answered all the questions. “He had no resistance to any of the questions that were asked, he did not remain silent despite knowing this right,” she explained.
In his statement, to which BioBioChile had access, Piñera explained the decision-making that involved the Carabineros during the social outbreak, pointing out that although they depend on the Ministry of the Interior, it is an institution with autonomy.
“Carabineros administratively depends on the government through the Ministry of the Interior, but operationally it has autonomy. The relationship with the government was through the Ministry of the Interior,” he noted.
“Therefore, the government proposed these instructions, but the way in which they were implemented was the decision of the Carabineros de Chile. The government did not intervene in the operational part, such as the way in which the summaries were carried out or the way in which the records were delivered to the justice system, ”he justified.
“This distinction is fundamental because neither the president, nor the minister, nor the undersecretaries gave operational instructions. Only general instructions such as putting records in the hands of justice, practicing transparency and conducting summaries. What never happened is that we became carabinieri, giving operational instructions. Instructions were given within the administrative and general nature, ”he clarified.
In this sense, regarding the instructions and measures that were taken after the start of the social outbreak, the president emphasized the concern that there was regarding Human Rights.
“When we had information regarding human rights abuses, eye injuries, injuries from pellets or the use of tear gas bombs, it did not leave the government indifferent, it was a matter of concern and central action of the government and also mine as president,” he asserted.
Piñera in a statement for 18-O: “There were no intelligence reports that would allow us to accurately anticipate the explosion of violence”
Asked about the intelligence information that was handled prior to the social outbreak, Piñera stated that there was no precedent that could have foreseen what finally happened.
“There were no intelligence or other reports that would allow us to accurately anticipate the explosion of violence that occurred on October 18,” he said.
“A few days before October 18, there was a meeting of the Intelligence Committee, which was focused on the protection of critical infrastructure. At the end of those meetings that the president sometimes presided over, I often asked if there was anything additional in terms of public safety that the president should know about. There was no answer to that question. There was no prior and accurate information from the intelligence agencies, ”he said.
“This is a serious problem. The current system does not work properly. That is why we present a bill that creates a new and modern National Intelligence System, following the best experiences worldwide, ”he concluded.
But also, Piñera ruled out a generalized policy of violation of Human Rights, relying on statements by figures such as the then director of the INDH, Sergio Micco, and José Miguel Vivanco, director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“I met with many people, to discuss these issues, most of the experts in these matters spoke out, for example, the director of the INDH Sergio Micco, who said that there were no intentional policies to cause violations of human rights and He maintained that “whoever affirms the contrary has to prove it.” And he adds that the president, through his ministers, has promoted various actions so that there is no impunity in Chile,” he said.
“José Miguel Vivanco, director of HRW, said that although human rights violations have been committed, there is no widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population.”
In this sense, more than once he insisted that his instructions, both to the Ministry of the Interior, as well as to the Carabineros and the Army, was to protect public order and respect human rights.
“I was given information regarding possible foreign participation”
Undoubtedly, one of his most iconic phrases during the crisis due to the outbreak, was his statement, where he assured that “we are at war against a powerful enemy”, something that former President Piñera also addressed in his statement.
“The phrase was very spontaneous and obeyed the context we were experiencing. That day I went to the offices of the general staff where I had a meeting with Defense Minister Alberto Espina, General Martínez, General Iturriaga and others. Subsequently, I had a more private meeting in which the Minister of Defense, the intelligence director of the army General Paiva and others participated, where they gave me information regarding the possible foreign participation in the acts of violence”, he revealed.
“Additionally, I also received information about the serious acts of violence that were occurring in different regions of the country. That statement was directed at the criminals and violent people who were causing damage to our country, ”he pointed out.
“There were written reports and I asked Minister Espina to make that information available to the national prosecutor, which is what happened,” he added.
“I frequently use the word war to refer to powerful enemies, for example, many times I have said that we are at war against poverty, against ignorance, against corruption, against the COVID pandemic. I never said that I was at war against the citizens. On the contrary, he was protecting the citizens, ”she explained to herself.
And regarding the alleged organization that was behind it, Piñera insisted that “the reference to organized crime refers to our conviction that, in some cases, such as the simultaneous burning of 7 subway stations, there was a criminal organization.”
In turn, the former president accused the media of a lack of rigor during the coverage of the various events that occurred, which would have fed false news.
“I also want to remember that there was a lot of fake news at that time. Some media outlets were very careless in delivering the information because they often spectacularly disseminated facts that were obviously false, such as the accusation of the existence of a torture center in the Baquedano metro station and many other examples. more,” he criticized.
Anyway, the former Head of State recognized that there were victims of Human Rights violations, such as Fabiola Campillay and Gustavo Gatica, albeit with a certain nuance.
“Of course I recognize the quality of victim of the violence of both. But it is up to justice to qualify the existence of human rights crimes, ”he remarked.
“In the case of Fabiola Campillay there is already an enforceable court ruling. In the case of Gustavo Gatica, I understand that there is still no court ruling. I am not a judge and it is not for me to judge, but I do respect the rulings of justice. Now, without knowing all the antecedents, in my opinion, in these cases, there was a violation of human rights, ”he said.
Questioned then as to whether his criteria for the existence of violations of fundamental rights implies the existence of a sentence, Piñera maintained that “no, it is perfectly possible that there is a violation of DD. HH and that justice will never be able to prove it ”.
Check out the full statement below:
1682457778
#informed #foreign #participation