By Andres Kogan Valderrama
HAVANA TIMES – The tragic death of Sebastian Piñera, drowned after the helicopter he was flying crashed into Lake Ranco on February 6, opened up the discussion about the democratic nature of the former president throughout his political career, which was marked by not going unnoticed until the end.
As a result, various voices and sectors have emerged, either defending or questioning his legacy, mentioning his strengths and weaknesses, all of which are united by the immense prominence Piñera had politically and economically in Chile over the past 30 years, serving as president twice and being one of the richest individuals in the country.
That being said, Piñera’s figure is quite peculiar when compared to other political and business figures, as he took pragmatism and opportunism to the extreme to achieve his goals. This without falling into major ideological fanaticisms or fixed positions, yet also lacking clear principles and a consistent ethical framework, which ultimately led him to be involved in many actions bordering on illegality.
Hence, his entire life was that of a player and speculator, not only to expand his fortune but also to relate to others, reflected in a biography characterized by instrumental and individualistic involvement in politics and certain causes, without strong convictions, just to try to appear as a protagonist in society.
Consequently, we should not be surprised by his inconsistencies, as despite always presenting himself as a center-right person who was always against the dictatorship, when Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London, he was among the first to come to his defense, acting like the worst of the Pinochet supporters, just to please his political sector and benefit from it by gaining prominence.
Similarly, while portraying himself as a great public servant, despite having a real record of irregularities and conflicts of inter
