Hague Court will not investigate facts after 18-O: Boric “regretted” decision and Kast pointed to Piñera’s right to defense

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to dismiss the preliminary investigation into the events that occurred in the framework of the social outbreak of 2019 after an injunction against President Sebastián Piñera that was presented in April by the NGO Chilean Human Rights Commission, former judge Baltasar Garzón and the Italian organization CRED. The presidential candidates referred to this decision, for their part, Gabriel Boric described it as “regrettable”, while José Antonio Kast said that the president has the right to raise in all instances that “he has not committed any violation of human rights”. The flag bearer of Apruebo Dignidad said that “it seems to me a regrettable decision. All Chileans witnessed how President Sebastián Piñera declared war on his own people.” In that line he also recalled the cases of Manuel Rebolledo, and also that of Fabiola Campillay who received a tear gas on her face while on her way to work, which caused her to loss her vision. He also said he respects the decisions of the International Criminal Court, however, he noted that “we will insist in all instances that are relevant. But political responsibility for serious human rights violations is also at stake on Sunday, 19 December.” For his part, José Antonio Kast said that he respects “everything that is the instances where human rights issues are analyzed” although he declared that “we have the possibility of being able to counteract some approaches.” The President has every right to continue to raise in all instances the arguments to prove that he has not committed any violation of human rights and ask the judges to act impartially, is what we always ask,” he said.

Original source in Spanish