The Senate of Chili voted Tuesday against the dismissal of President Sebastian Piñera. This impeachment procedure followed the affair of the « Pandora Papers », which revealed offshore transactions involving political and economic figures from around the world.
Sale of a copper and iron mine
Among them are documents which appear to describe a transaction involving the sale, in 2010, of the Dominga copper and iron mine, located about 500 km from Santiago. At the time, Sebastian Piñera was starting his first term.
The documents suggest the deal, involving a company linked to the Chilean president’s family, was subject to favorable regulation. The sale was reviewed and dismissed by the courts in 2017.
Sebastian Piñera denies the allegations, claiming that the details of the contract were in a previously examined file without any irregularities being found.
The Chilean Senate vote ends the impeachment procedure approved last week by the opposition-dominated Chamber of Deputies. In the Senate, where the opposition also has a majority, a two-thirds majority, or 29 votes, was needed. However, only 24 senators voted for impeachment, 18 against and one abstained.
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