it was the litmus test for the opposition and they did not pass it. Is that the constitutional accusation against Ministers of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, Hugo Dolmestch, Carlos Künsemüller and Manuel Valderrama, by granting probation to seven sentenced for violation of human rights in dictatorship, played in the heart of the single issue that still manages to unify the opposition. But after nine and a half hours of discussion, it was inevitable that the bitter taste remain impregnated within the ranks of the former new majority and the Frente Amplio, after 73 votes against and only 64 in favour libel failure be approved and passed the Senate due to the clear in the own opposition followers, with the radical members and the Christian Democrats which, along with the seats of Chile we rejected it.
In this way, the opposition remained alone with the warm and hard-fought triumph of having spent the prior question, in a draw by 69 votes in favour to 69 against, that triggered several internal tensions in Parties of all the paths.
The day in Valparaiso was tense, especially by the public and repeated shock that libel and its handling generated among the three powers of the State, rather, two of them, the judiciary and the Executive, against one, the legislative branch.
Today all had their eyes on the indictment signed by ten parliamentary opposition and led by the Congresswoman Carmen Hertz (PC). However, the currency was a key day players, since government officials monitored and operated directly throughout the day to avoid libel was approved.
Responsible for the negotiations was the Minister of the Segpres, Gonzalo Blümel. His efforts not only included the parliamentary mainstream, but it also directly pointed to key votes in opposition. An intervention that was criticized by the opposition sector, which accused the Government of operating openly in favour of the three Ministers of the Supreme Court.
“We must call on the Government not to intervene in this situation. “Let’s be frank, the Government does not vote, but intervenes (…) should be allowed to keep the autonomy of the Parliament”, said Manuel Monsalve, head of the Socialist Caucus. Not only he, the Hertz member in the House spoke directly of “collusion” between the coin and the Supreme Court and brought to collation the controversial meeting between President Sebastián Piñera and the head of the Court, Haroldo Brito.
The objective of La Moneda was always, as on other occasions, getting the votes from the DC. And he succeeded. Throughout the afternoon, he spoke of a division of 7 votes in favour and 7 against the accusation, a complex balance that led to that Minister Blümel concentrate on breaking it, since the radical votes of rejection were already guaranteed.
According to what was around last night in the corridors of Congress and the House environments, what was offered, negotiated and agreed between the Executive and part of the base DC ranged from some points of tax reform, through the reform to the pension system to the probe of the permanence of the Undersecretary of health care networks, Luis Castillo, in his office, questioned weeks ago by the Phalanx for being linked with the assassination of the former President Eduardo Frei Montalva.
Blümel efforts were efficient, broke the initial balance in the DC of 7 and 7 and, after midnight, only four members of the phalange voted in favor of the prosecution: Víctor Torres, Raúl Soto, Mario Venegas and Gabriel Ascencio, who said that is They cuadraron with the line of “the defense of human rights”.
From the Phalanx they defended themselves stating that, for this type of topics, they prioritize the freedom of conscience, while from the Radical Party, her helmsman, Carlos Maldonado, recalled that “we said from day one that we shared not the criterion used by the room It seems Criminal Supreme Court on these failures and, certainly, not that people who have committed this type of crime are free. For this reason, and to avoid that, it is necessary to amend the legislation.”
Factor Macaya accusation not only generated criticisms and problems in the opposition, but also on the right. Accomplished once the tie on the previous question in the room, to the interior of the UDI was burnt Troy. A nuisance that was felt strong last night, by the absence of the head of the trade Caucus, Congressman Javier Macaya, who left Chile headed to Spain for holidays with his family.
In the UDI was criticized harshly the absence of who, moreover, wants to run for the Presidency of the community end of the year, because they understand given office having as head of bed, their priority was precisely coordinate members, check the votes and provide scenarios, such as which occurred last night with the previous question, that tie 69 to 69 in the House, allowed the accusation to advance to his discussion of background. What most bothered to the UDI, they confessed, is that with a single vote could have been averted that.
Not only in the corners of Congress was seeing and feeling the discomfort, but also in the chats of unionism, which burned immediately. While there were four members of the IDUS who were absent, Fury focused on Macaya, who peer – transcended – accused of lack of responsibility.
For unionism the subject of the indictment against the three Supreme was of utmost importance, especially for the old guard of the UDI, because it involved the interests of uniformed prisoners in the prison of Punta Peuco, a sensitive issue for the bases of the party and that the pr opia President of the collectivity, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, has not hesitated to support and defend strongly.
Only that, in the UDI last night were not sure, left in Chile Deputy Macaya, exercising his role as Chief of base, the scene with the previous question had been different, and that the accusation would have braked early. “When they are heads bed it is coordinated, it is not adrift,” said a trade member.
The disorder was higher, because who should replace Macaya was Deputy Víctor Barahona, who was not present at the Congress, so at the end was María José Hoffmann, which not a few in the community and the caucus doubt their ability to lideraz go and political clout needed to deal with such situations.
One of the arguments most heard last night was that Macaya due stay, delayed 24 hours his trip to Spain and later found with his family there and therefore, not a few recalled that last year, when voted the project of abortion in three causal the RN Senator, Manuel José Ossandón, is returned from the United States to add to the rejection of the initiative.
In the cross-fire of the gremialistas chat also appeared the name of the Minister of Justice, Hernán Larraín, who some they eventually as it left “a vacuum” in political negotiations to sort the parliamentary hosts and ensure votes needed for rejection of libel, even more so considering that this was an issue involving its “scope”.
Steppenwolf if things were tense in the UDI, the PS was worse. The indictment required simple majority, 50% plus 1 of those present in the room, so the absence of Socialist Deputy, Marcelo Díaz and the defeat of the libel was the focus of domestic criticism.
If it had not been because the Deputy RN, René García, retired from Congress, the prosecution would have failed in the previous question and by a vote. It was after that that internally in the Caucus was questioned harshly Diaz chose to go on holiday to New York and not to delay your trip one day to be a vote.
“I have been involved in these hours, I had my mother in a serious state of health, but my commitment to human rights goes beyond even the pain of being away today day and not be accompanying it. “Not everyone in this party we have the same commitment to human rights, that will be a problem that will have to take on Marcelo Díaz with the Chilean socialism in the future”, said PS Deputy, Fidel Espinoza annoying last night.
In the PS circles last night ensured that this “invoice” is going to charge Diaz, not only by the final failure of the accusation, but have put at risk the party, since failing to the accusation in the previous question, the responsibility for the bitter defeat h It opened directly relapsed in the Socialist Party.
