The grandchildren of the former Chilean president Sebastian Piñerawho died last Tuesday in a helicopter accident, gave him an emotional farewell this Friday at the funeral mass held in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago and highlighted the playful side of the one who was the first right-wing president to come to power after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
“I remain calm for the pride that I carry in my heart, for the honor of having had Sebastián as a grandfather, and I speak on behalf of his 14 grandchildren.”said León, Piñera’s oldest grandson.
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The young man, 18 years old, recognized that the former ruler is his “greatest idol” and said that his grandchildren “will never forget the adventurous spirit that infected everyone” or the games with which he made them laugh, such as “the fight of the century.”
“The name of Sebastian Piñera Echenique He will be remembered forever: a unique, honest, brave, persevering, empathetic and respectful man; “a man who did not know hatred, much less resentment, and, above all, the most intelligent man I knew.”
His granddaughter also spoke Hopewho described him as “be unmatched” and “the best grandfather.”
“Neither I nor any of my cousins learned as much at school as we did learning after dinner, when you started telling your stories, when you taught us about history, culture, geography, love, and all the things that a man as wise as you know”he pointed out.
Chili This Friday, in an emotional and solemn state funeral, he said goodbye to the former president, who governed in two non-consecutive terms (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and who piloted the helicopter that crashed on Tuesday for reasons that are still unknown. Ranco Lakean exclusive resort more than 800 kilometers south of the capital where he spent summers with his family.
Before the funeral massthe three powers of the State paid tribute to him at the former headquarters of the National Congress in Santiagowhere thousands of anonymous citizens came on Wednesday and Thursday to say goodbye.
Possessor of one of the largest fortunes in Chiliduring his mandates he had to manage the reconstruction of the country after the devastating earthquake of 2010, the epic rescue of the 33 miners and the successful vaccination campaign of the pandemic.
However, one of the darkest points of his administration was the social outbreak of 2019, during his second Government, which left around thirty dead and accusations against the security forces for violations of the human rights.
