Sebastin Piera, the billionaire who introduced Chiles political proper wing out from the shadow of former dictator Augusto Pinochet to win two separate phrases as president, died in a helicopter crash within the south of the nation. He was 74.
The helicopter went down in a lake within the Area de Los Lagos, Inside Minister Carolina Toha advised a press convention on Tuesday. Three folks had been injured and managed to swim to the shore, whereas Piera was trapped within the wreckage. His physique was later recovered by rescue companies.
So goes an important and profitable right-wing chief within the historical past of Chile, Mauricio Morales, a professor of political science at Chiles Universidad de Talca, wrote on X, the platform previously referred to as Twitter. His governments left extra lights than shadows.
Piera turned president in 2010 and once more in 2018, overseeing two intervals of progress, although the second was overshadowed by the worst social unrest in a technology that paralyzed a lot of the nation.
One key to Pieras early political success was distancing his right-wing coalition from Pinochets 17-year dictatorship, which resulted in 1990, enabling it to unseat the center-left events that dominated the nation for 20 years. One of many few on the proper who voted in opposition to Pinochet in a 1988 plebiscite, Piera helped mildew a brand new proper wing that centered extra on financial liberalism than Catholic conservatism and authoritarianism.
Piera was a controversial determine, stated Kenneth Bunker, a professor at Universidad San Sebastian in Santiago. He was a determine that even inside his personal sector by no means had broad assist. For the conservative proper, he was disruptive.
Nonetheless, many citizens simply backed him for his obvious financial Midas contact, hoping it will rub off on the nation basically.
Financial progress averaged 5.4% throughout his first time period because the nation was flooded with income from hovering copper costs. His second time period was much less profitable, with growth averaging 3%. The nation was additionally convulsed by avenue protests over inequality in late 2019 that solely ended with the arrival of the Covid pandemic.
Condolences
Regional leaders together with Brazils Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentinas Javier Milei despatched their condolences.
I’ll at all times worth ex-President Pieras dedication to our nation and its democracy, in addition to his tireless work and repair for the nation, former president and political opponent Michelle Bachelet stated in a press release.
President Gabriel Boric stated Piera would obtain a state funeral and declared three days of nationwide mourning.
He was a democrat from the primary hour and genuinely regarded for what he believed was finest for the nation, Boric stated in televised feedback.
Piera could finest be remembered on the worldwide scene for overseeing the rescue of 33 employees trapped in a copper mine in northern Chile for 69 days. Domestically, he may even be recalled for managing the rebuilding efforts after a devastating earthquake in 2010. An aftershock of that quake had interrupted his inauguration ceremony.
Enterprise empire
Born Dec. 1, 1949, in Santiago, Piera attended the Catholic College of Chile, studied economics at Harvard College after which returned to Chile to show at a college.
Over the next a long time he turned a billionaire. At one time, he owned 27% of the airline LAN Chilenow Latam Airlinesplus 90% of the Chilevision tv station and 13% of the Colo Colo soccer membership. He offered these holdings earlier than the 2009 presidential marketing campaign.
By the point he took workplace for a second time in 2018, most of his familys wealth was in blind trusts.
Nonetheless, his enterprise profession was marked by a number of controversies. In 1982, whereas he was chief government at Banco de Talca, he was accused of violating the nations banking legal guidelines and disappeared for twenty-four days. The Supreme Courtroom later acquitted him of the fees. In 2007, Piera was fined $700,000 for insider buying and selling. He didnt attraction.
Piera is survived by his spouse, Cecilia Morel, and their 4 kids.