President Bachelet participates in ceremony marking the 120th anniversary of the State Defense Council
The State Defense Council marked its 120th anniversary today at the former National Congress in Santiago with a ceremony headed by the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, and the president of the State Defense Council, Juan Ignacio Piña. Founded on December 21, 1895, the State Defense Council is primarily responsible for legally defending the interests of the Chilean State. It reports directly to the President of Chile who also appoints the 12 council members.
In her speech President Bachelet highlighted the institution’s republican character, its seriousness, stability and its deep historical ties with the nation and called on the State Defense Council to continue working in this solid tradition.
She added that the outlook “is now particularly demanding. We know that society and citizens place much higher standards on public institutions today than they did in the past. People expect institutions to do things well; not only in terms of outcomes but also in terms of the means they use to achieve those outcomes.”
President Bachelet explained that “when we are unable to meet these expectations, trust is undermined, as has unfortunately been the case recently. But I am convinced that public trust can be rebuilt by enforcing the legal sanctions that apply to everyone, without distinction, and also by establishing new, even tougher laws.
Similarly, she noted that the State Defense Council has a key role to play in rebuilding public trust. She highlighted the need to modernize the institution in terms of legal strategies and creating public value in order to tackle this task more effectively; in addition to optimizing the joint work carried out by institutions such as the Office of the Comptroller General, the Public Ministry and the Judiciary in identifying, investigating and sanctioning misconduct within public office.
In her closing remarks President Bachelet thanked the State Defense Council’s legal, technical and administrative teams, who “epitomize the true meaning of public service. This is an institution that works within the law to uphold the law, which does more for this country than many people realize. An institution with the highest standards of transparency and probity that is being called on to make a key contribution in the rebuilding of public trust in the State.”