Ex-President of Chile Sebastián Piñera dies in helicopter crash

Ex-President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera dies in helicopter crash – Chilean ex-President and billionaire businessman, Sebastián Piñera, has passed away in a helicopter crash at the age of 74.

According to reports, on Tuesday, February 6, the helicopter carrying Piñera and three others crashed into a lake in southern Chile. Piñera was declared dead shortly after rescue personnel arrived at the scene, while the other three passengers survived. Although Reuters sources suggested Piñera was the pilot, officials have not confirmed this, nor the helicopter’s intended destination.

President Gabriel Boric announced three days of national mourning, with preparations underway for a state funeral on Friday for Piñera, who served two non-consecutive terms between 2010 and 2022.

Interior Minister Carolina Toha confirmed the recovery of the ex-president’s body from the lake near the town of Lago Ranco, praising his dedication to public service, particularly in recent efforts to combat deadly wildfires.

Gabriel Boric, Piñera’s leftist successor, paid a warm tribute, stating, “We are all Chile, and we should dream it, draw it, and build it together.” He expressed condolences to Piñera’s family during these difficult times.

Brazil’s leftist President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed surprise and sadness, highlighting their positive working relationship. Argentina’s former conservative President Mauricio Macri mourned Piñera’s “irreplaceable loss,” and Iván Duque, the former conservative president of Colombia, expressed great sadness over the death of his friend.

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In Chile, Piñera was recognized as a successful businessman, and his first term was marked by rapid economic growth. Internationally, he gained fame for overseeing the dramatic 2010 rescue of 33 miners trapped underneath the Atacama desert, a global media sensation depicted in the 2014 movie “The 33.”