“I know that we have made mistakes, and I ask forgiveness for them. But I also know that we have worked tirelessly and given the best of ourselves to fulfil our commitments and the measure up to the challenges that Chile faces today.” Piñera said.
Over the rest of his two-hour speech, the president proceeded to highlight his administration’s progress toward “a freer, fairer and more prosperous Chile” over the past two years, touching on areas such as health, infrastructure, the economy, human rights and education, among others.
Key among Piñera’s announcements was the construction of a bridge to Chile’s southern Chiloe Island, as well as a new food voucher for the country’s poorest in the amount of 40,000 Chilean pesos (US$80) per family, plus an additional 7,500 pesos (US$15) per child.
The topic of education also held particular weight in Piñera’s speech. According to a poll earlier this month at Chile’s Centre for Public Studies (CEP), education has now become the country’s No. 1 concern and the president’s lack of action in this area is a major contributor to his low approval rating.(Mercopress)