"They called them the 'knife gang'": Javier Olivares claims he provided the Public Prosecutor's Office with information about individuals who were arrested.

The congressman from the People's Party (PDG), Javier Olivares, addressed the assault he suffered early Sunday morning inside a sports club in Olmué, and stated that he and his team provided information to the Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the alleged perpetrators of the attack. In an interview with "Tolerancia Cero" from CNN Chile, the congressman said, "Two criminals assaulted me at the sports club in Olmué. We are waiting for the formal charges tomorrow (Tuesday)." He also denied that it was a fight and asserted that "they can say anything. This is indeed an assault." "I was at the sports club for six minutes. I entered, we paid our entrance fee, my chief of staff, one of my advisors, and I. Afterwards, we went to greet the president of the club, who was in the kitchen of the headquarters. There were about 100 people. All of that is also recorded," he recounted. "Then, at 12:05 a.m., I went onto the dance floor, taking a step, and a person launched an attack from behind, which we eventually identified," he added. "The Knife Gang" In that context, Olivares stated that, as a journalist, he and his team took steps to identify those involved. "We quickly identified these people. Obviously, my chief of staff is also from the Olmué area, she knows people, she moves quickly. Also, many people called us and told us that these people were criminals, that they were known as the 'knife gang'," he said. "The neighbors know perfectly well who they are, they pass this information on to us, and we pass it on to the Public Prosecutor's Office," he added. The congressman also stated that there are audiovisual recordings of the entire sequence, and that these are now in the hands of the Public Prosecutor's Office. When asked about his statements regarding the attackers being supporters of the "far left," Olivares said, "When they attacked me, we clearly heard someone shout 'long live the left' or 'the left never dies.' I heard it." Despite this, he stated that he does not know if those involved have any political affiliation, although he said that they made posts on social media against President José Antonio Kast. Response to Hertz and Molina Amid the reactions to the attack, the former communist congresswoman Carmen Hertz stated that Olivares "got what he deserved," and also accused him of "crying" and "playing the victim." This comment was echoed by the former Minister of Health and former congresswoman Helia Molina (PPD), who commented that "he who seeks, finds." In response, the congressman stated that "I believe that is part of freedom of expression. If they have that impression, it is their opinion. I disagree with both. I find the comment petty, but it is their opinion." "If they believe that he deserved it, that is their issue. Today they are out of politics because they lost the election. Regardless of whether they are Twitter commentators—now X—and former officials, that's where I leave it. It doesn't bother me. I don't take anything personally," he added. Controversy over military cape Olivares was also asked about the Prussian-style military cape he wore to Congress. "I like capes, I have several Prussian capes of different colors. And the first one I wore was a gray cape that I was told resembled the one worn by General Pinochet," he said. When asked if he sympathized with the figure of Pinochet, he stated that "I liked the military government, I believe they did many good things." Regarding the reaction that the use of the clothing could generate in congresswomen who are victims of human rights violations, such as congresswoman Lorena Pizarro and former congresswoman María Candelaria Acevedo, he stated that "obviously I empathize, obviously I imagine how difficult it must be for the large number of families of detainees who disappeared (...) indeed, I believe that all human rights violations are undeniable." "I feel that there must be a lot of pain in their families (...) but indeed, I did not come to Congress to talk about things that happened 60 years ago," he added. However, he did not rule out wearing the garment again and said that "I do not regret it." He also recounted that a communist congressman—whose name he said he did not remember—approached him to express his discomfort with the cape. "I told him that if you are bothered by my cape, I will not wear it," he said.