MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Veteran politician replaces Chilean outspoken ambassador in Argentina

Adolfo Zaldívar, dissented with the Christian Democrats and founded his own party

Adolfo Zaldívar, the president of Chile’s Independent Regional Party (PRI), is now Chile’s new ambassador to Argentina.

“President Sebastián Piñera’s instructions were to get the PRI involved in his government, and with Zaldívar’s designation as the new ambassador, Piñera has realized that objective,” said a Chilean government official.

Wednesday, the government confirmed Argentina’s acceptance of the new official and Zalvídar - a lawyer, professor, and life-long political activist - is expected to resign as president of the PRI in the next few days.

Zaldivar created the PRI after falling out with the Christian Democratic Party.

Chile sought a new ambassador to Argentina following controversial remarks earlier this month by then-ambassador Miguel Otero to Argentine media.

Otero had told a local reporter “[Chile] was not under the influence of a dictatorship” during the Pinochet years and that “most Chileans were not even affected by the dictatorship. On the contrary, they were grateful for the order and tranquillity under Pinochet”.

By Christine Mehta – Santiago Times