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Controversy in Chile over a report that says Piñera was not wearing a seat belt in his fatal accident

The companions of former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera on his helicopter trip through a lake in southern Chile, where the ship capsized in a fatal accident just ten months ago, assured this Saturday that the former president, who died of “suffocation by suffocation”, did use his seat belt at the time of the event, contradicting a preliminary report from the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC).

“At the time of the accident, the helicopter pilot (Sebastián Piñera) was wearing the seat belt, as were the other three passengers,” said his daughter Magdalena Piñera, in addition to his friend Ignacio Guerrero and his son, Bautista Guerrero, in a public statement.

“We sent this statement only in order to clarify the information delivered yesterday (Friday) regarding a preliminary report of the DGAC,” added the three companions who managed to save themselves.

With or without a seat belt?

The preliminary document released by the DGAC on Friday revealed that Piñera, pilot of the helicopter, “was without his safety harness and died at the scene of the incident.”

The person in charge of rescuing the former president’s body, firefighter Ricardo González, stated after the accident that “the extraction was not complex,” due to the favorable conditions of temperature, water, wind and depth, and that the former president “was free, without the belt, on the side of the helicopter.”

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The former Chilean president died on February 6 at the age of 74 while piloting a helicopter that rushed over Lake Ranco, an exclusive spa more than 800 kilometers south of the capital where he spent the summers with his family.

The first conclusions of the investigation into the causes of the accident are expected to be known in February 2025, when one year after the event has been made.

Piñera was the first right-wing politician to come to power after the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). He ruled for two non-consecutive terms (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and his unexpected death caused a deep shock in Chilean society.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.

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