The councilor of Villa Alemana and official of the Viña del Mar-Quillota Health Service, Marcelo Valderrama, was removed from his position in that entity after causing the annoyance of human rights groups, for showing himself in a telework session with a painting of the dictator Augusto Pinochet behind him.
In a statement, the Health Service said to take into account that Valderrama is the head of Social Participation, the department on which the Comprehensive Health Care and Repair Program (Prais) depends, that it is made precisely for the victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship.
In the document, they argue that they made the decision to “maintain bonds of trust and closeness with the user population.”
The head of the regional headquarters of the National Institute of Human Rights, Fernando Martínez, called the case contradictory, and warned that public policy is clear about acts that deny respect for human rights.
The militant councilor for National Renovation, stated that he had not noticed the painting, adding that the image is from a few months ago and that she was in a session at the home of a relative who had the image.
Marcelo Valderrama even pointed out that he has nothing to do with Prais, and even indicated that the session where the painting appeared could have been in a non-work conference call, which could not have been linked to the program.
“Indeed the photo exists, it is in the house of a relative, I did not notice that detail until I relocated with my camera. I participate in many video conferences. I doubt very much that it is a work teleconference and less with people from Prais “Valderrama assured.
About 70 organizations linked to the Prais program throughout the country had already issued a statement calling for Valderrama’s departure, stating that this image, in a session of a public official, apologizes for the violations committed during the dictatorship.
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