A group of 11 deputies and one senator from the Frente Amplio came out in defense of the Chamber's vice president, Ximena Ossandón (RN), following the clashes provoked by Republican Party lawmakers during the processing of the 2027 Budget. Through an open letter titled "Respect," the legislators expressed their solidarity with Ossandón and questioned the statements of deputies from the Republican Party, particularly Cristián Araya and Luis Sánchez, whom they accused of maintaining an attitude of mistreatment toward the Chamber's vice president.
"We have deep political differences with the vice president, but she has our respect and solidarity in the face of this offensive. She was fulfilling her responsibility," the lawmakers stated.
The statement comes after the incidents recorded during the budget debate on Wednesday, November 11, when Republican deputy Javiera Rodríguez sparked controversy by referring to human rights organizations as "that great company called Human Rights Company." Her statements provoked a reaction from communist deputy Lorena Pizarro, daughter and daughter-in-law of detainees who disappeared, and led to an argument that forced the session to be suspended. In that context, Ossandón intervened to call the deputies to order, while the Chamber's presiding board subsequently issued a statement, backed by all political forces, warning of possible sanctions for insulting expressions among legislators.
Criticism of the Republicans
In their letter, the Frente Amplio lawmakers also took aim at Cristián Araya, whom they accused of having described those defending funds allocated to cancer treatments in public health as "scavengers of misfortune," in addition to telling them to "go cry to FIFA." According to the signatories, Ossandón asked the deputy to respect the Chamber's conduct agreements, which would have prompted new criticism from the Republican caucus.
The legislators especially criticized the reaction of deputy Luis Sánchez, who wrote: "Whoever wants respect must earn it."
"We believed we shared a basic agreement: all people deserve respect simply for being people. We do not need to earn it with an office or political affiliation," the lawmakers responded in the letter.
Along those lines, they questioned that the Chamber's vice president received criticism despite her political closeness to the government.
"Ossandón, moreover, neither the vice presidency of the Chamber nor her habitual defense of the government spared her the mistreatment. Her 'fault' was setting a limit on a deputy from the President's party," they argued.
The letter was signed by deputies Tatiana Urrutia, Gael Yeomans, Emilia Schneider, Carolina Tello, Constanza Schönhaut, Consuelo Veloso, Francisca Bello, Coca Ñanco, Lorena Fries, Javiera Morales, and Valentina Cáceres, as well as Senator Beatriz Sánchez.
The lawmakers closed their statement by questioning the climate of confrontation that has taken hold during legislative debate.
"We thought the polarization in the Chamber was between left and right. We are starting to believe the divide is more basic: some of us understand respect as a minimum for living together; others, as a reward for proving them right."