Senator says Bolsonaro is not welcome in Chile because he admires Pinochet.

247 - The president of the Chilean Senate, Jaime Quintana Leal, has recently gained prominence in the Brazilian media for refusing an invitation from the Chilean government to have lunch with President Jair Bolsonaro, who is visiting Chile. "Admirers of Pinochet are not welcome in Chile," says Quintana. In the past, Bolsonaro declared himself an admirer of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who, according to him, "did what had to be done" during his time in power, from the military coup that brought him to power in 1973 until 1990, when he had to hand over the presidency to a civilian elected after a plebiscite.

On his social media account, Quintana Leal, from the Party for Democracy, which defines itself as center-left, had already justified his absence from the lunch due to Bolsonaro's positions against sexual minorities, women, and indigenous people. Quintana Leal belongs to the opposition group to the government of Bolsonaro's host, President Sebastián Piñera.

In interview with BBC News Brazil In his office, Quintana Leal made it clear that he does not question Bolsonaro's legitimacy, that his decision "has nothing to do with the office of the Presidency, but with Jair Bolsonaro as a person and his homophobic, misogynistic statements and those related to torture. Participating in an event honoring him (Bolsonaro) would affect many people in our country who feel harmed by his statements."

Quintana Leal says that recent statements by the Chief of Staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, praising Augusto Pinochet, have rubbed salt into a deep wound still open in Chilean society. Lorenzoni said that Pinochet "had to give a bloodbath" to fix the country's economy.

"This is a very painful issue for Chile, not only for those who were direct victims of the human rights violations committed by the dictatorship."

According to official data, more than 3 people were murdered and more than 30 were tortured during the Pinochet years.

"When he (Bolsonaro) declares himself an admirer of Pinochet, that's very strong. Admirers of Pinochet are not welcome in Chile," says Quinta Leal, expressing concern about what Bolsonaro "represents."

"Because as we continue to endorse leaders who begin with populist speeches but end up consolidating totalitarian regimes, the threat is not just to one country. It ends up being a threat to humanity. This happened in Europe in the 1930s."

this crisis."