The president of National Renewal (RN), Andrea Balladares, accused Republican Deputy Cristián Araya of criticizing the late former president Sebastián Piñera to "gain a few points in the polls", according to BioBioChile. The dispute pits two parties that support José Antonio Kast's government against each other.
It began with an interview Araya gave to La Tercera. Asked about the risk of another social uprising, the lawmaker compared the current administration with Piñera's during the October 2019 crisis.
"Unlike President Piñera's government, we have a government that firmly supports the Chilean police and the Armed Forces," Araya said. He added that President Kast "does not let violence intimidate him or dictate his agenda."
The deputy also defended the Republican Party's role in 2019. He maintained that it was "the only party that firmly supported the Armed Forces and the police" when, according to him, everyone was turning their backs on them.
Balladares responded by defending the former president's legacy. "We categorically reject the claim that President Piñera turned his back on the police and the Armed Forces. No one has a monopoly on defending our institutions," she said.
The RN leader questioned why, seven years after the social uprising, some groups were claiming all the credit for defending the institutions. "It is easy to boast of bravery when someone else had to make the difficult decisions," she said. She added that having opposed Piñera's second government does not confer moral superiority or the right to "reshape history to suit their interests."
The party leader also warned of the cost to La Moneda. "If they really want to help President José Antonio Kast, they should start by not creating problems for him just to get a headline," she said. She described fueling internal disputes to pursue personal agendas as "irresponsible."
The exchange exposes tensions within the ruling coalition. RN, Piñera's party, and Kast's Republicans now share power, but hold different views on how the 2019 crisis was handled. So far, Araya has not responded to Balladares, according to the available information.
Balladares closed with a message to her allies: "Our loyalty to the government is firm, but it requires respect among those of us who support it".
