The Secretary General of the Government, Mara Sedini, added further statements to the ongoing dispute that erupted this Monday between President José Antonio Kast and the Communist Party, following a call to action from Communist Party lawmaker Lorena Pizarro.
In his response, the President stated through his social media channels that the Communist Party was part of the government of President Gabriel Boric for four years and that it "peacefully occupied La Moneda" (the presidential palace), accusing the party of now, after the defeat of Jeannette Jara, "seeking to stir up unrest and halt the progress that the government and Congress are democratically promoting. Chileans want solutions, not more violence."
The response from the Communist Party leader, Lautaro Carmona, was swift. He argued that the Head of State is "abusing his position, because he is attributing to the Communist Party an opinion that is well-founded, that originates in real life, and that is being voiced by a parliamentarian, Lorena Pizarro, when he knows perfectly well that the only way this will elicit a reaction is if the people, those who will be affected, react."
In a statement from La Moneda, the government spokesperson criticized the Communist Party leader's remarks, stating that "there is an opposition that is willing to engage in dialogue and do things the right way, and another that is not. One that prefers legislative sabotage and..." (the sentence is incomplete in the original text).
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The Secretary General of the Government, Mara Sedini, added new statements amid the dispute that erupted this Monday between President José Antonio Kast and the Communist Party, following the call for citizens to mobilize made by Deputy Lorena Pizarro of that party. In his statement, the President, through his social media, stated that the Communist Party was part of President Gabriel Boric's government for four years and that it "peacefully occupied La Moneda," and accused it of now, after the defeat of Jeannette Jara, "seeking to stir up the streets and halt the progress that the government and Congress are democratically promoting. Chileans want solutions, not more violence." The response from the Communist Party leader, Lautaro Carmona, was swift, pointing out that the Head of State "is abusing his position because he is attributing to the Communist Party an opinion that is rigorous, that originates in real life, that is voiced by a parliamentarian, Lorena Pizarro, when he knows perfectly well that the only way this will have a reaction is if the people, those affected, react." In a statement from La Moneda, the Executive's spokesperson criticized the Communist Party leader's remarks, stating that "there is an opposition willing to dialogue and do things the right way, and another that is not. One that prefers legislative sabotage and one that prefers mobilization in the streets to exert pressure, in order to resolve the legitimate discussions that must take place both in Congress and in any democratic institution." "I believe that the Communist Party cannot lecture anyone on democracy. It should start looking internally at its members, such as the one being prosecuted for violence against Minister Lincolao, who is a member of the Communist Youth, or the senator being sued for defamation against the Minister of Security, or also the statements of a former parliamentarian who said that a deputy deserved physical violence," she emphasized. And then she added: "That is not the way to do politics, that is not the way to talk about democracy, and that is where I want to highlight the statements of the President, who is addressing this very issue, because the deputy is making a veiled call to disregard the legitimacy of Congress. Congress is the place where democratic dialogue must take place, and when she diminishes its political importance, she is undermining our institutions."