Chile's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill this Tuesday authorizing the construction of a monument to honor the late former president Sebastián Piñera. The legislative decision marks a significant step forward for the initiative, which seeks to pay tribute to the former leader.
Following the vote in the lower house, the bill will now return to the Senate for its third legislative stage. This return is necessary due to a substantial change regarding the monument's proposed location.
According to reports from cooperativa.cl, the project underwent a major revision during its review by the Chamber's Committee on Internal Government. It was decided that the monument will be erected in Plaza de la Ciudadanía, replacing the original proposal to place it in Plaza de la Constitución.
Because of this change in location, the Senate must now weigh in to either ratify or reject the new site proposed by deputies.
Funding and Project Management
The bill stipulates that the construction will not require any public funds. Instead, financing will be sourced from public donations, nationwide collections, and private contributions.
These fundraising efforts will be coordinated through the Sebastián Piñera Echenique Presidential Foundation. Should any surplus funds be generated, they will be used to publish works regarding his legacy and other initiatives as determined by the executive committee.
The project will be managed by an ad honorem commission. This group will be chaired by a representative from the former president's foundation and will include the Rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Mayor of Santiago.
The commission will also include two deputies, two senators, and two former members of his administrations, to be selected by the foundation's board of directors. These former collaborators may include former ministers or undersecretaries.
Sebastián Piñera passed away on February 6, 2024, at the age of 74, following a helicopter accident in Lake Ranco. The former president was the first right-wing leader to democratically reach the presidency following the dictatorship of Augusto Pinog.
His political career spanned two non-consecutive terms between 2010 and 2022. During his first administration, Piñera led the reconstruction efforts following the 2010 earthquake and the rescue of the 33 miners, while his second term was marked by the 2019 social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
