Commemorative monument to former President Patricio Aylwin inaugurated at La Moneda Palace, with President Gabriel Boric in attendance
The statue will honor the legacy of the former president, and has been placed in the Plaza de la Ciudadanía. The ceremony was attended by Chile’s highest authorities, along with former Presidents Ricardo Lagos and Sebastián Piñera.
A commemorative monument to former President Patricio Aylwin has been inaugurated in an emotional ceremony headed by President Gabriel Boric. The statue has been placed in the Plaza de la Ciudadanía, between La Alameda Avenue and La Moneda Palace.
The children of the former President, the current ministerial cabinet, civil and religious authorities, and former Presidents Ricardo Lagos and Sebastián Piñera attended the event.
President Aylwin took office in 1990, following 17 years of military dictatorship. He guided Chile through turbulent times, and provided the stability that allowed our country to embark on a new period of democracy.
President Gabriel Boric stated that his legacy has been the construction of a Chile that is fair and inclusive for everyone. He was committed to democracy, human rights and fraternal dialogue.
“It has been more than three decades since the speech of March 11, 1990, that reinaugurated our democracy, when President Aylwin advocated a Chile of all Chileans, for all Chileans. Together, we continue seeking that fair and good homeland for all the people of Chile,” President Boric said.
He added, “it is difficult for me to stand here, look at the statue of President Aylwin and think about the tremendous challenge of what it means to live up to his republican sobriety and dignity, from which I try to learn every day. This ceremony is republican, among other things, because we come together here in the Plaza de la Ciudadanía to pay homage to a man, a teacher, a politician, a father, a grandfather, in whom we recognize the firmness of his conviction at the service of a single interest that guided his actions throughout his public life: the greater good of Chile.”
The monument to President Aylwin was approved on February 17, 2017, by both Chambers of the National Congress through Law 20.991. The piece was made by sculptor Cristián Meza Avedaño, and contains the phrase “the fair and good homeland,” alluding to the famous speech given by the former president.