“Fascism advances, I will never shake hands with a Nazi no longer a son of a Nazi either; They mean the death of man. It’s sad that Pinochet had to use violence to get his way, but sadder now the time has come that the people elect their Pinochet: chosen or not, They are Hitler’s children and Hitler kills the people.”
With this post on his X account, the left-wing president of Colombia Gustavo Petro talked about itVictory of the right-wing candidate Jose Antonio cast in the Chilean runoff election last Sunday the 14th. Without any supporting evidence, he also called “take care of it Neruda’s tomb“, as if the newly elected president had at some point threatened the preservation of the poet’s grave in his home on Isla Negra.
This is from the Chilean side The reaction didn’t take long to arrive: A protest note to the Colombian ambassador expressed “anger about this.” Unacceptable statements from the President of Colombia regarding the presidential elections,” adding that “his statements represent a lack of respect and an inappropriate interference in matters of domestic policy,” which “denigrate not only the elected president (José Antonio Kast), but also the sovereign decision of the Chilean people and the democratic solidity of institutions.”
If anyone ignorantly believes that the note came from Kast’s Republican Party, they are wrong from start to finish: That’s because it was precise Order of Chilean President Gabriel Boric- in the ideological antipodes of Kast – who instructed the foreign minister to refer the protest to the Colombian government.
Almost unimaginable from this side of the mountain range resounding display of politeness She was far from the only one. Following a tradition in Chilean democratic life, Boric invited Kast to a meeting on Monday, hours after his overwhelming election victory. Already on Sunday the President congratulated the winner on the phone and sealed the meeting the next day at the Palacio de la Moneda to begin the transition. “We were in the Antipodes during much of our political careerHowever, Chile and… connect us we are part of the same fate of the nation,” said Boric.
The defeated official candidateThe communist Jeannettte Jara not only called Kast on the night of the defeat, but also approached him greet him personally in the campaign command. “Democracy has spoken loud and clear. Our democracy will be strengthened if.” We respect the will of the citizensJara said.
To local politicians, all of this seems like science fiction. Not for Uruguayans; Democratic coexistence is one of its most deeply rooted customs. The moving farewell of the former presidents will be remembered Julio Maria Sanguinetti And Jose “Pepe” Mujicathe day they both lavishly left their Senate seats mutual praisebeyond the ideological differences that they have always claimed.
It is also about preserving the image of an electoral afternoon in which two numerous rival groups, one from the Colorado party and the other from Blanco, crossed paths on the promenade of Montevideo and, far from attacking each other, They sang the anthem together national. Or the photo at every presidential inauguration of the remaining former leaders welcoming democracy.
Days ago, without going any further, the two-time former president Sanguinetti be advanced birthday party (he turns 90 on January 6) and the former leaders Luis Alberto Lacalle and his son Luis Lacalle Pou met at the celebration between laughter and hugs; the current one, Yamandú Orsi, a staunch opponent of Sanguinetti in his two governments, and Representative of all forces Guidelines. “Here we are like old fighters”said the award winner. The incumbent Vice President highlighted it in X: “In our country, democratic coexistence, respect and dialogue are deep characteristics of our political culture.”
We Argentinians have the desire to hang on the tree this Christmas.
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