Former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera dies in helicopter crash
Sebastián Piñera, the two-time former president of Chile has died in a helicopter crash aged 74, the federal government mentioned.
Chile Interior Minister Carolina Tohá confirmed the dying of the previous president this night. She mentioned 4 folks had been concerned within the crash and while three survived, the previous president was killed with the military recovering his physique.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron is one in all many world leaders to have paid tribute to the politician after the unhappy information unfold internationally.
Writing alongside a photograph of the pair, Cameron shared to X: ‘I’m deeply saddened by the tragic information from Chile that former President Sebastián Piñera has died in an accident.
‘President Piñera was a real pal to the UK, and a pal to me additionally, after we loved a detailed working relationship throughout our time in workplace. My ideas and prayers are together with his household.’
Serving as president from 2010 to 2014 and once more from 2018 to 2022, Piñera led the South American nation throughout devastating pure disasters, together with the fallout of an earthquake and a tsunami.
Sebastián Piñera, the two-time former president of Chile has died in a helicopter crash aged 74, the federal government mentioned
Piñera pictured throughout an handle to the nation in 2019
Former Prime Minister David Cameron is one in all many world leaders to have paid tribute to the politician after the unhappy information unfold internationally
Piñera additionally oversaw Chile’s Covid response, which included one of many quickest vaccination charges on this planet.
His legacy is marred by violent police repression in October 2019 towards protesters who have been demonstrating towards the nation’s training, well being and pension programs courting to the nation’s 1973-1990 navy dictatorship. International organisations cited mass violations of human rights within the crackdown.
The social unrest finally led to 2 makes an attempt to replace the structure inherited from the navy authorities, however each have failed.
The son of a outstanding centrist politician, Pinera was a Harvard-trained economist who made his fortune introducing bank cards to Chile within the Nineteen Eighties. Piñera was the proprietor of the fifth-largest fortune in Chile, estimated at some $3 billion.
He labored as an instructional in a number of universities for nearly 20 years and as a guide for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.
As a businessman within the Nineteen Seventies by way of the Nineteen Nineties, he labored in a wide range of industries, together with actual property. He held shares in main airways, telecommunication, actual property and electrical energy firms. He additionally created one of many largest bank card firms within the nation. In 2009, he handed over the administration of his companies to others.
He entered politics representing the center-right, which was the civilian help of the navy regime.
However, when he served as an impartial senator, he voted towards the extension of dictator Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
His legacy is marred by violent police repression in October 2019 towards protesters who have been demonstrating towards the nation’s training, well being and pension programs
Protests within the nation’s capital towards the previous president in November 2019
Pinera provides then Prime Minister David Cameron a rock from the underside of the San Jose mine as they meet in Downing Street in 2010
He ran 3 times for president of Chile. In 2006, he misplaced to socialist Michelle Bachelet; then in 2010 he defeated former President Eduardo Frei and was elected in 2010. Four years later, in 2018, he received a second four-year time period after defeating a leftist impartial.
Twelve days earlier than the start of his first time period, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami claimed the lives of 525 folks and devastated the infrastructure of central-southern Chile.
Piñera’s authorities agenda was postponed so as to tackle emergency reconstruction. In 2010, he additionally led the unprecedented rescue of 33 miners trapped for 69 days on the backside of a mine, which captured the world’s consideration.
He closed his administration having created an estimated 1 million jobs.
Politicians round South America have paid tribute to Mr Piñera.
The former Argentinian President Mauricio Macri mentioned he felt ‘immense disappointment’ and it was an ‘irreplaceable loss’.
Ivan Duque, the previous president of Colombia, mentioned he felt nice disappointment for the dying of his pal.
