Impeachment Piera starts with 13 hour-long filibuster

[Judi Lynn]

1. Chilean president Pinera impeached over Pandora papers revelations

Lower house approval vote sets up trial in Chile’s senate

Papers revealed offshore dealings of conservative president

Sebastián Piñera in October. The leaked documents revealed new details of a controversial deal to sell the family’s stake in the Dominga mining project.

Associated Press in Santiago
Tue 9 Nov 2021 12.46 EST

Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera has been impeached by the lower house of congress, setting up a trial in the nation’s senate over allegations he favored the sale of a family property while in office.

The vote to impeach passed with the bare minimum of 78 votes needed in the 155-member chamber of deputies, and followed a marathon 20-hour session. Sixty-seven legislators voted against impeachment, including several members of the opposition. Others abstained or were absent.

Piñera is unlikely to be removed by the 43-member upper house, where the opposition has only 24 of the 29 votes needed to oust a president.

But the trial will come in the heat of a general election campaign. The first round of general elections is set for 21 November and Piñera’s term ends on 11 March. Chile does not permit presidential re-election to consecutive terms.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/09/chilean-president-sebastian-pinera-impeached