The unpopular yet necessary face of public power.

We haven't experienced a national uproar like the one we felt in the face of the events in Santa Maria in a long time.The loss of hundreds of young lives in tragic circumstances has triggered sadness, outrage, and bewilderment throughout the population. Everything has already been said, and massive solidarity has overflowed from all corners of the country.

Wars, crises, and tragedies are moments of learning. The radicalization of life highlights facts and traits that remain submerged in everyday life.

The tragedy in Santa Maria offers us an important lesson about the various facets of public power and the boldness and courage necessary for a true leader. Several great statesmen have already warned us about the perversity of demagoguery, populism, the obsessive pursuit of unanimity, and excessive concern with popularity. The excessive and constant search for popular approval sometimes becomes the shortest path to mediocrity and error. A true leader doesn't just take sympathetic actions, but does what needs to be done.

It is evident that every public figure finds fulfillment in the inauguration of a hospital, the delivery of social housing, the opening of a new road, or the construction of a school. These are the most rewarding moments in public life.

There are other sectors that are only valued when the provision of public services is interrupted. This is the case with electricity, water supply, and urban cleaning.

However, there are certain public policies that are necessarily unpopular, create friction, affect specific interests and, at first glance, seem unpopular. These are actions of inspection, regulation, tax collection, and the exercise of the State's police power. Community life in a democratic society presupposes a social pact that regulates rights and duties, establishing certain limits to individual actions. And it is the government's responsibility to enforce the collective interest and the observance of laws and regulations.

Sometimes at the cost of sacrificing a few points in popularity polls.
When the Central Bank raises interest rates to protect the currency, when tax authorities combat tax evasion, when the Fire Department prevents a concert, when a city government clears streets of illegal activities, when health inspectors shut down a factory or restaurant, it's not out of explicit malice, assumed perversity, or blatant sadism. It's in defense of collective rights and interests. Often, a conflicting specific interest makes its voice heard, and society doesn't always understand the actions of public authorities.

But a true leader must have the clarity and courage to rigorously apply democratic laws and norms with skill and wisdom. Without that, there is no democracy.

Unfortunately, awareness of the need for such rigor often only arises in the face of tragedies that could have been avoided.