Ximena Ossandón and the imminent withdrawal of the security reform: "The government understands that it has to make this kind of gesture"

As Vice President of the Chamber, Deputy Ximena Ossandón (RN) was one of those invited to Wednesday's breakfast with President José Antonio Kast at Cerro Castillo to address the security agenda. On La Tercera's streaming program, Desde la Redacción, interviewed by Rodrigo Álvarez and Pedro Rosas, she discussed the new design around the initiative. Senator Bianchi said the meeting was not very useful: "It surprises me that he says it wasn't very useful, because it was a meeting where both chambers were present, along with the presidents of the Security and Constitution committees, so that we could organize ourselves (...). Given the urgency the government has with the security issue, we mainly talked about this constitutional reform that is sleeping in the Senate, but we know that senators (Andrés) Longton and (Arturo) Squella are working on a new proposal, and if it comes to light and is agreed upon by more senators, it will probably be the reason the government ends up withdrawing the one that is currently sleeping and, after endorsing this new proposal, work on it. The government understands it has to make this kind of gesture." According to Bianchi, it will be withdrawn by Monday: "What I understood, at least, is that it will be withdrawn to the extent that another reform exists that is also endorsed by the government (...). The willingness to withdraw it is there — remember that at one point it wasn't — but always in favor of another, more robust bill that takes more or less the same themes as the bill that caused so much controversy, resolved in a different way and agreed upon with more senators." Paulina Vodanovic (PS) criticized having learned of the meeting through the press. Basically, she felt isolated, as did Senator Claudia Pascual (PC): "Both senators are very important, and we talked about that, but this was not an expanded meeting; it was one representative from each chamber plus the committee presidents (...). It's not that they are excluded, far from it; they are extremely important for these bills to move forward, and the government and the committee are absolutely clear on that." Was timing discussed? "What was understood and what will be pursued is that between Monday and Tuesday the reform will be ready — I mean even discussed with the senators — and then sent to the government for its review (...)." Does the government understand that a plan B must be found? "Of course, and this is precisely the plan B. It seems to me an act of great humility, which is greatly appreciated..." Would it mean admitting defeat? "But a defeat in order to win a victory later. In a war, there are many battles that are won and others that are lost, but here we have a single war, which is against organized crime. The question in the end will be: do we win or not win the war overall? (...). It's true, it is a defeat; ideally it would not have existed and perhaps they would have reached more consensus at that moment — it didn't happen — but we still have time to make amends."