MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US embassy Wikileak questions Chilean president Piñera’s business practices

The US government officially apologized to President Pinñera

United States Ambassador to Chile Alejandro D. Wolff apologized to Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera for Wikileak revelations that showed U.S. officials questioning the past businessman practices of Piñera during last year’s presidential runoff race between the Conservative coalition candidate and Senator Eduardo Frei, of the center-left Concertacion coalition

The cables suggested, among other things, that as a businessman Piñera was willing to break the law in pursuit of profits and was successful in countering questions about suspect past business dealings because he enjoyed the support of Chile’s conservative media.

“A competitive businessman and politician prone to taking risks Piñera has been linked to a number of questionable actions in the past,” Carol Urban, Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Santiago stated in the summary of the cable. “But voters seem relatively unconcerned by these charges”.

Although the cable also stated Frei's attempt to link Piñera to a price-fixing scandal in 2008 was “highly weak,” it went on to question other specific practices:

“Driven and competitive, Sebastian Piñera pushes both his businesses and his politics to the limits of the law and ethics. Some of his actions--such as lending money to fictitious companies--seem to clearly cross the line into legal impropriety. At other times, though, he seems more to be a victim of circumstance, carelessness, or the sheer vastness of his fortune.”

Following the release of the cable, Ambassador Wolff said in a statement: “The government of the United States has a high opinion, great respect and admiration for President Sebastián Piñera, who has worked hard for the best interests of his country and people.”

Piñera, one of Chile’s wealthiest individuals, was dogged throughout the presidential campaign by accusations that – as president - he would misuse his political power for his own private gain.

Piñera made his initial fortune in the credit card business and later came to own a percentage of Lan Chile airline, Chilevision TV station and a large part of the Colo Colo soccer team. His wealth now exceeds US$1 billion. During the presidential campaign Piñera promised to sell his airline and TV holdings, but resisted all suggestions he sell the soccer team.

Once elected president, Piñera sold all three holdings, but only after considerable delay. His decision to sell his soccer team came following allegations that he interfered with soccer association elections and had a hand in dismissing popular national coach Marcelo Bielsa.

The Wikileak cables were first published in Spain’s El Pais newspaper, one of the four world media selected by Wikileaks to vet and publish the more than 250,000 diplomatic cables intercepted by the whistle-blowing website.

These most recent cables were sent to Washington D.C. in October, 2009, signed by former U.S. Ambassador Paul Simon.

By Steve Anderson – Santiago Times