Sebastián Piñera, a billionaire businessman, served two terms as the President of Chile, leaving office in 2022.
Sebastián Piñera, a former president
of Chile, has died in a helicopter crash at the age of 74.
The crash happened
in Lake Ranco, southern Chile, with Mr
Piñera and three others on board.
Three people survived the crash,
but Mr. Piñera’s body was recovered
by the Chilean Navy.
Mr. Piñera was known for being a billionaire businessman and investor. He served as Chile’s president for two terms, from 2010 to 2014 and from 2018 to 2022. As a conservative leader, he introduced policies favoring businesses, which helped Chile’s economy grow and earned it the reputation of being a stable country in Latin America.
Sebastián Piñera faced huge protests from people who felt his government ignored the poor in Chile, which is one of the most economically unequal countries globally. He left office with low approval ratings both times he served as president.
President Gabriel Boric of Chile said Piñera worked to build agreements for the nation’s benefit but acknowledged the criticism. Boric declared three days of national mourning for Piñera’s passing.
Sebastián Piñera’s most important
legacy was that he helped Chile’s
conservative group regain power
for the first time since General Augusto
Pinochet’s military dictatorship ended in 1990.
After two decades of left-leaning governance, Piñera’s election in 2010 signaled that Chile’s democracy was robust and in good shape, according to Robert Funk, a political science professor at the University of Chile.
“He did that mostly by himself,” Mr.
Funk said. “He encouraged the
right-wing parties to join and follow the
rules of the political game,
Even when they weren’t fully convinced.”
Sebastián Piñera is survived by his wife, Cecilia Morel, whom he married in 1973, and their four children.
Piñera’s initial wealth came from introducing credit cards to Chile during the dictatorship in the early 1980s. He invested his earnings in various sectors like real estate, banking, energy, and mining, and also owned a TV network, a significant stake in an airline, and a soccer club.
He used his wealth to enter politics, serving as a senator and later becoming president.
During his presidency, Piñera led Chile through challenging times, including a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2010 that killed 525 people and displaced 1.5 million others
.
Later in the same year, Mr. Piñera’s presidency faced a significant test when 33 miners became trapped nearly a half-mile below the ground. His government devised an intricate plan involving drilling a narrow hole and using a custom-made capsule to rescue them. The operation was a success, and Mr. Piñera personally greeted and celebrated with each miner as they were lifted to safety, one by one, after enduring 68 days underground.
During his second term, Mr.
Piñera’s government received praise for its
response to the pandemic. He
secured a significant supply of
vaccines from
China and implemented an
effective vaccination campaign.
However, his government also encountered massive protests in 2019. Initially sparked by a minor increase in subway fares, the protests expanded to encompass broader grievances about inequality.
To address the protests, Mr. Piñera deployed the military, which led to clashes between the police and demonstrators. Tragically, more than 30 civilians died, and over 460 others suffered severe eye injuries or blindness from rubber bullets used by law enforcement.