Actress and comedian Paola Troncoso took to social media to criticize those who mocked the mudslide that struck the San Carlos de Apoquindo area of Las Condes. According to BioBioChile, the emergency left at least 2 thousand homes affected in the eastern part of the Metropolitan Region.
The landslide occurred on Thursday. The following day, the government reported that six people were injured, according to Meganoticias. Images showed trapped people, destroyed cars and a bus from the Red Movilidad system swept away by the mud.
Alongside the shock, comments appeared on social media celebrating the fact that the emergency had occurred in an affluent area of the capital. Troncoso, known as "Chofi" on Mega's comedy show "Detrás del muro," responded to those reactions.
In a video she posted and later deleted, captured by the news site Prensa Chilena, the actress said that "these things cause a lot of harm. And not just material damage, but also emotional harm to the people affected."
"It makes me very sad to see, sometimes, so much indifference in the comments, as though drawing a distinction between those who have more and those who have less, as if they suffered less," she said. She then added: "Let us never forget that we are all human beings."
Troncoso attributed those reactions to "hurt that we have sometimes experienced in life and that makes us put out negative energy." She said she would not elaborate because the subject saddened her.
Her message also drew controversy. According to BioBioChile, the video received hundreds of critical comments from users who rejected her remarks. The sources do not specify when or why the actress deleted the post.
Meanwhile, the emergency remains ongoing. The Eastern Prosecutor's Office is investigating what happened, and Mayor Catalina San Martín requested funding for weather radars and settling basins. Authorities estimate that restoring normal conditions in the municipality will take weeks or months.
