Original article: «Hay un riesgo para la democracia en esta elección»: Exsubsecretario de Frei Guillermo Pickering (DC) se desmarcó de apoyo del expresidente a Kast

Democracy at Risk in Upcoming Election, Warns Former Frei Secretary Guillermo Pickering

In statements to El Mostrador, Guillermo Pickering, the former Interior Undersecretary under President Frei Ruiz-Tagle, distanced himself from the ex-president’s support for José Antonio Kast, asserting that this election poses a «risk for democracy.»

“There is a risk for democracy in this presidential election (…) Because this is not the center-right, this is Pinochetism. Pinochetism and democracy are antithetical. There are objective grounds to make this statement,” stated the Christian Democratic member.

According to Pickering, should Kast and the Republican Party be elected, they would aim to impose exceptional executive powers in Congress under the guise of combating crime, creating a scenario reminiscent of a state of siege, where military leaders would take charge. He cautioned, “There are people who want the Armed Forces to take drastic measures, and underlying that fascist discourse is the call for the military to act violently.”

“I am the son of a military man; my father warned them before the coup that they would be responsible for all the deaths (…) Now, who will take responsibility when the military has to fire upon civilians, if they are not trained as police? It will be just like before; the right will use them and then discard them,” Pickering declared, emphasizing that this could lead to a «militarization of politics in Chile.»

Continue reading:

Huenchumilla: Frei Ruiz-Tagle «damages the historical memory» of his father and Chile by supporting Kast

The Citizen