President and First Lady mark anniversary of 2010 earthquake with ceremony to honor victims
The activity was held at sea opposite Talcahuano Bay and included a moment of silence in memory of the 551 victims. “The commitment, generosity and solidarity demonstrated show that the Chilean people can face any adversity when we are united,” the President noted.
On Thursday, President Sebastián Piñera and First Lady Cecilia Morel led the main ceremony to commemorate the February 27, 2010 earthquake and tsunamis. They were accompanied by families affected by the tragedy. The activity to honor the victims was held at sea across from Talcahuano Bay. A moment of silence was held in memory of the 551 victims of the seismic catastrophe, which affected nearly 80% of the country’s population.
“A noble, strong, courageous and solidary people emerged from adversity in the early morning of February 27, 2010 and during the days and weeks that followed,” the President said during the ceremony.
President Piñera also honored and expressed his gratitude for the important work carried out by firefighters, police, members of the armed forces, civil society organizations and thousands of volunteers during the disaster.
He also recognized the reconstruction efforts undertaken during his first administration, including over 220,000 housing units, nine restored airports or aerodromes, four new hospitals, 1,554 kilometers of rebuilt roadways and 2,566 projects to repair damaged schools. These are just some of the most noteworthy measures.
“It was a titanic effort, but the perseverance, commitment, generosity and solidarity of the Chilean people showed that we can face any adversity when we are united, have a sense of shared mission and see each other as people who may think differently but can still walk together,” President Piñera added.
During his remarks, the President also highlighted the progress that the country has made over the past decade in terms of strengthening warning and response protocols related to this type of natural disaster.
The measures include the creation of the National Seismology Center, the outfitting of 15 new regional offices of the National Emergency Office of the Interior Ministry, the expansion of regional office staff, modernization of seismic stations (which increased in number from 70 to 500), building code changes for coastal housing, the establishment of subsidies to encourage the construction of tsunami-resistant structures, mitigation efforts on the coasts of affected communities and the implementation of alert sirens along the country’s entire coastline.
The President was accompanied at the ceremony by Defense Minister Alberto Espina, Housing and Urban Development Minister Cristián Monckeberg, Public Works Acting Minister Cristóbal Leturia, BioBío Regional Governor Sergio Giacamán and other officials.