Political positions of Sebastián Piñera
Chilean president Sebastián Piñera has declared his position on many political issues through his public comments and legislative record. While he belongs to the right-wing party Renovación Nacional Piñera himself says he is "almost" a Christian Democrat.
Education
With respect to the massive 2011–2012 Chilean student protests, Piñera has defended for-profit activity in education and proposed to legalize it, rejecting the students demands for the public ownership of educational establishments.[1] Piñera considers education a consumer good.[2]
Foreign policy
As president, Piñera expressed support for the Argentine claim on the Falkland Islands, as "the unrenounceable rights of Argentina on the islands."[3]
After the death of Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela and on the other side of the political spectrum, it was known that on 4 May 2010, during a Unasur summit, Piñera agreed with him a verbal and previously unreleased personal non-aggression pact.[4]
Pinochet's dictatorship
Piñera has declared he voted No in the 1988 plebiscite on whether Augusto Pinochet should stay on power until 1997.[5] In 1998, Piñera opposed the arrest and detention of Pinochet in London, initiated by Baltasar Garzón, arguing that it was an attack on the sovereignty and dignity of Chile.[6]
References
- ↑ Cadena Nacional de Radio y Televisión: Presidente Piñera anunció Gran Acuerdo Nacional por la Educación Government of Chile. July 5th of 2011. Accessdate July 5th of 2011
- ↑ Gobierno aclara dichos de Presidente Piñera sobre educación
- ↑ Chile y las Malvinas, Juan Gabriel Valdés. Blogs El Mercurio. January 6, 2012.
- ↑ Phillip Durán in Chilean newspaper La Tercera, on 9 March 2013, article El pacto de Buenos Aires, retrieved on 9 March 2013
- ↑ Piñera y sus raíces DC, La Tercera
- ↑ Piñera y su acalorado apoyo a Pinochet en 1998. La Nación, 10 de diciembre de 2009 (part of the speech can be seen at Youtube).