This Saturday, the President of the Senate, Paulina Núñez, referred to the recent agreement between the country's main truckers' confederations and the Government regarding the reduction in fuel prices, and with it, its swift processing in Congress. The statements were made following the National Meeting of Renovación Nacional (RN), an event that brought together in Santiago authorities and representatives of the party from across the country, including Antonio Walker, president of the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura; Rodrigo Hinzpeter, former minister; and Sergio Romero, former president of the Senate.
On the matter, the president of the Upper Chamber addressed the agreement reached between the leaders of the Confederación Nacional de Dueños de Camiones (CNDC) and the Confederación Nacional del Transporte de Carga Terrestre de Chile (CNTC) and the Executive Branch.
"If there are some who perhaps want a greater effort to be made, who seek to review it, who want to incorporate other types of transport, then they are right in that we have to start by approving this, which is the minimum," she began by saying.
President of the Senate announces fast-track processing of the fuel price reduction agreement.
She also referred to the legislative process of the initiative: "We have set the deadlines, we are coordinating with the Chamber's leadership, and on Monday (...) we are going to meet immediately, so that by Tuesday we are already able to send it into law, if not even on Monday itself."
In this regard, she asserted that "the minimum we have to do is approve what is already certain and, then, open a discussion if they so wish; because clearly the National Congress is the place to eventually increase whatever may have a lever in the Executive Branch."
Support for the agreement and criticism over the accusation against Rabat
In the same context, the president of Renovación Nacional, Andrea Balladares, was also present and spoke in support of the initiative.
"In March of this year (Kast) made a very difficult decision, which was how to deal with the increase in fuel prices. That decision allows us today to have a more orderly fiscal account, which allows us, in these minutes (...), to take public resources, reallocate them, and thus allocate them to addressing what the country is experiencing today," she stated.
President of the Senate announces fast-track processing of the fuel price reduction agreement.
In the image, Andrea Balladares. DRAGOMIR YANKOVIC/ATON CHILE
In that sense, she explained that "all political forces today have to be more available than ever to approve what the Executive Branch is proposing together with the transporters."
"I hope the opposition takes part in voting for and supporting this, which today is what the transporters need and is what the Government has also made an effort to provide in response to a situation that is very critical for the entire country," she added.
In this regard, the party leader also had words regarding the constitutional accusation announced against the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat, which arose from the controversial sentence reductions for more than 50 defendants accused of sexual offenses and which triggered the departure of the former Undersecretary of Justice, Luis Silva.
"These accusations must be evaluated on their merits. (...) This cannot be used for political points; such an important tool as a constitutional accusation cannot be used to harm the government or to make a political point," Balladares stated.
Along the same lines, RN deputy Ximena Ossandón also referred to the situation: "One has to be serious, and when there is really no transgression of the Constitution, one has to vote against these constitutional accusations, regardless of whether it is popular or not."
President of the Senate announces fast-track processing of the fuel price reduction agreement.
In the image, Luis Silva and Fernando Rabat. SEBASTIAN CISTERNAS/ATON CHILE
She also referred to the possibility of a bloc-wide rejection within the party and the second constitutional accusation that may be brought against members of the Supreme Court: "I would love for it to be as a bloc. But regardless of that, it is important that each vote be very well agreed upon with the team."
"Let us remember that we are facing two constitutional accusations. One has already been filed, against Minister Rabat, and the second, which is already being drafted, is against the justices of the Court. We have to be very careful to respect the independence between the branches of government. And it would be very strange for a deputy to vote in favor of one and against the other. The public would not understand it," she concluded.