President Piñera calls for an Agreement in favor of Democracy and peace and against violence: “It will contribute to getting Chile back onto the path of progress and justice.”
The President highlighted the need to move towards the implementation of the Social Agenda, with a focus on improving pensions, family income and healthcare. He also reiterated his commitment to strengthening public order and protecting and promoting employment and SMEs.
President Sebastián Piñera issued a call for a Major Agreement in favor of Democracy and peace and against violence after leading a ministerial meeting at La Moneda Palace on Monday.
“The dividing line is not between the government and the opposition. The dividing line is between those of us who believe in democracy and want to live in peace and those who practice violence and want to destroy our democracy,” the President said.
“This agreement and collaboration from all Chileans of goodwill will contribute to healing wounds and will contribute to Chile getting back onto the path of democracy, progress, justice and peace,” he continued.
President Piñera called for support for the Social Agenda in order to increase the pensions for over 800,000 Chileans in addition to the 1.6 million beneficiaries of basic solidarity pensions. He also asked Congress to approve the guaranteed minimum income, which will significantly increase the income of over 700,000 Chilean workers.
The President also asked for the health reform to be accelerated. The plan offers guaranteed maximum wait times for illnesses not covered under the Universal Access with Explicit Guarantees (AUGE) scheme, as well as catastrophic insurance and a subsidy for reducing medication prices for the 14 million beneficiaries of the National Health Fund (FONASA) system.
He also called for progress to be made with key bills for promoting public order such as the modernization and strengthening of the Carabineros de Chile (Chile’s uniformed police force), reorganization of the National Intelligence System and the law that will allow the Armed Forces to safeguard critical infrastructure such as hospitals, airports, power plants and potable water plants.
The President highlighted a plan to protect employees, income and SMEs and reiterated the government’s commitment to guaranteeing a democratic and transparent constitutional referendum.
“Our Government will guarantee this referendum and will respect the free and sovereign decision that will be made by the Chilean people on April 26,” President Piñera said.