Biminister Claudio Alvarado spent Saturday contacting party presidents and pro-government lawmakers to ask them to tone things down. According to La Tercera, the effort sought to contain the crisis triggered by the president of the Partido Republicano (Republican Party), Arturo Squella, with a message against former UDI minister Hernán Larraín.
Shortly after 21.00, Squella wrote on X: "How valuable it would have been to have this law in force in the days of Paul Schafer, don't you think, Hernán?". The reference to the founder of Colonia Dignidad, convicted of sexually abusing minors, landed like a bomb in the Chile Vamos and Partido Republicano chats.
The message responded to a public statement by Larraín. The former Justice minister contradicted the account given by the current head of the ministry, Fernando Rabat, on the sentence reductions for 56 people convicted of sexual abuse and rape of minors.
Larraín said he never granted those reductions and that he rejected them. According to his account, it was rulings by the Corte Suprema (Supreme Court) that forced him to sign off on them. He thus distanced himself from the current government, which processed the decrees administratively.
On the right, many believe those remarks weakened Rabat's defense. The minister faces the threat of an acusación constitucional (constitutional accusation), the mechanism through which Congress can remove officials for serious violations.
There was outrage in the UDI. Larraín twice chaired the party, served as minister and now heads the board of the Fundación Jaime Guzmán. Some wanted to respond publicly, but the party leadership called for restraint.
The president of Evópoli, Luciano Cruz-Coke, first tried to persuade Squella privately. When that failed, he called him out on X: "Arturo, you lead the President's party". He added: "With this, there's no need for an opposition".
According to party leaders cited by the outlet, President José Antonio Kast himself and Alvarado asked Squella to delete the post. The Partido Republicano dismisses that account.
Later, Squella called UDI president Guillermo Ramírez and Larraín. He apologized to them and deleted the message. Ramírez had considered suspending his participation in Monday's political committee.
Both said they had turned the page. However, Ramírez warned on Sunday on Canal 13 that these episodes "hurt the government" and affect its ability to get bills through Congress.
The bloc was left with a bitter taste. Members recall other fronts opened by Squella: his feud with the head of the Segundo Piso (the President's inner advisory team), Alejandro Irarrázaval, his idea of privatizing Codelco and his criticism of undersecretary Máximo Pavez in a private chat that went viral.
This Monday, the leaders meet again at the expanded political committee at La Moneda, the presidential palace. The government is betting on a bill to prevent further sentence reductions for these crimes, which Alvarado aims to move forward with cross-party support during the week.
