A president for our time

I write this column today, February 7, one day after the tragic death of former president Sebastián Piñera to give an account of our history, the relationship we built and the high opinion I have of him.

Exactly 14 years ago he called me, on February 7, 2010. Like yesterday, I was on vacation in Villarrica.

In this column I want to briefly recount that conversation and the last one we had, just a few days ago, without imagining that it would be the last.

The first conversation took place weeks after having won the presidential second round in January 2010. He called me to tell me three things.

First, he thanked me very sincerely for what I had done to help him succeed in the presidential election.

A year earlier he had told her that he would win by the margin of the feeling of triumph that he estimated, for a presidential election, to be between 2 to 3 points.

He asked me to explain what it was and asked me to work on maintaining it.

That's right, he obtained 51.61% and Eduardo Frei 48.39%.

Secondly, thank me for the cabinet proposal that I had sent you.

The day he was named president-elect in the Electoral Tribunal, he wanted me to accompany him to the ceremony.

After her, without knowing it, we flew in parallel from Tobalaba towards the south.

When we reported to the Tower near Chillán, he told me that we should change the channel to talk because he wanted to ask me something.

In that conversation he asked me to send him the cabinet that I would make.

I did it the next day and sent it to him.

He told me that on Wednesday morning he would announce it and that he would name several ministers that he had suggested to him.

The third issue was that he would not remove senators from Congress as he had proposed.

He told me that he had changed his mind and gave me a long explanation as to why.

Faced with my silence, he asked me what I thought and I told him that the first thing he had done was thank me for what we did to make his dream of being president come true and now, that he could make mine come true of being a minister, he was telling me that he wouldn't (the others were Allamand and Chadwick).

He told me that he couldn't tell her that.

“You know that I say what I think,” I told him and added: “President, I am a very presidential person.

If the president believes that it is better not to remove senators, I will turn the page and count on me for whatever you deem appropriate.”

He quickly responded that he urgently needed to meet with me and we agreed to do so on Wednesday.

He surprised me by his interest in speaking, since that day in the morning he would announce his office.

Nothing turned out as we agreed, since that day I ended up admitted to the clinic with a lot of pain due to an infection in my wrist.

He told me that he would stop by the room at nine at night.

He arrived promptly and left after eleven at night.

That was our first serious, deep conversation with a state perspective.

After so many differences and disagreements, that night I began to get to know him.

There appeared the character and priorities of the statesman who emerged in his two presidential terms.

I have recounted this episode because 14 years later he called me again to get together.

Before coming to Villarrica he asked me to go to his office.

We had a long conversation that ended with an invitation to

Chichi

(my wife) to spend a few days at her house on Lake Ranco.

Fate wanted something very different.

I will keep the memory of our pleasant and interesting conversation and also of her concerns.

He was particularly affectionate.

He left asking about

Chichi

and my children.

Afterwards he asked me at length how she was.

From there we went on to talk about the country and the right.

As always, very interested to know what he thought we should do.

We agree on all the diagnoses and also on what should be done.

The most complex thing was how to achieve it.

These were my first and last conversation with former president Sebastián Piñera.

Between them 14 years passed, eight of them he was our president and in his first term he honored me by naming me as his Minister of Economy.

By the way, we had hundreds of conversations during this long period and I think I have gotten to know him very well, humanly and politically.

Intelligent and hardworking like few others.

Studious, rigorous, persevering.

Chile was fortunate to have him as president at the most appropriate times.

No one better than him to lead the country's destinies after the earthquake of February 27.

He led the reconstruction in record time.

No politician would have carried out this titanic task with the brilliance with which he did it.

He avoided all the suffering with the prioritization he gave to civil works and the thousands of houses that had to be rebuilt.

The rescue of the 33 miners is another episode that faithfully represents him, where regardless of the risk, and against the opinion of everyone around him, he risked himself completely to save our compatriots.

In the second period he had to face two great challenges, the social outbreak and the pandemic.

The second reaffirms his well-known management capacity, characteristic efficiency and sense of urgency, together with his Ministers of Health he managed to ensure that Chile ended up being an example for the world for the way in which he faced it.

But the first showed the other side of him, that of the democrat, who did not allow himself to be intimidated by the violentists who tried to overthrow him, nor by the vociferous supporters who demanded the use of force.

He broke the traditional path of institutional crises that destroyed our democracy on many occasions with an institutional and peaceful solution.

This, in addition, had to be overcome with the worst opposition the country has had since the return to democracy.

I think he did not rule out a third period.

She loved challenges.

He was a great public servant and was concerned about how the country could return to the path of development and resolve the issue of insecurity and drug trafficking.

Perhaps he was the man who could have given us back the security and tranquility that Chileans demand so much.

He has left us a great man who could have had an infinitely more pleasant and comfortable life with his loved ones, but he chose to make great sacrifices, embracing public service to serve those most in need.

They have been shocking, hard and tragic hours because we know that he could and wanted to have continued serving for a long time with his characteristic energy, passion and rigor with which he undertook all of his challenges.

Pablo Longueira

was president of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and Minister of Economy during the first Government of the former president of Chile, Sebastián Piñera (2010-2014).

Subscribe here

to the EL PAÍS Chile newsletter and receive all the key information on current events in the country.