Piñera cancels APEC and COP25 summit in Chile

With just 15 days in advance, Piñera cancelled the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, APEC, which would take place in the Latin American country between November 16 and 17 in which one of the Central events was going to be the signing, by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, of a trade agreement between the United States and China.

The excesses and the protests originated by government policies that ended up exacerbating the spirits of the communities in Chile and gave way to the manifestation of the general frustrations of the people that for decades have endured erroneous policies has led Piñera to give statements to the media that have aroused all kinds of reactions.

“We deeply feel and regret the problems and inconveniences that this decision will mean for both APEC and the COP. But as President of all Chileans, I must always put the problems, the interests of the Chileans, their needs, their desires, and their hopes are the first in line,” were the words of the Chilean president.

At the same time, he said that 73% of exports go to APEC countries that he described as not "a forum that only interests leaders, this is a forum that interests all Chileans," however, before the present situations that occur in the longest country in the world, the Piñera government made this delicate decision.

Days before, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, canceled his visit to Chile, stating that he would send another high-level official of his government in his replacement. For his part, Trump had said: "I know they have some difficulties at this time, but I know the Chileans and I am sure they can solve it." Apparently, it wasn't like that.

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Different political groups and some analysts such as the journalist Rodrigo Andrade, specialized in sustainability and climate change, affirmed that “Trump's presence would have been taken as a provocation and in the conditions in which the country is at the moment, it would not be convenient one more motivation, with which we have, is enough ”.

The Chilean analyst and journalist adds that “the international strategy of the Piñera government ended up falling completely with these cancellations, it was the perfect scenario for Chile to stand out at least, if it did not succeed with its own people, at least it did so in front to the international community, but with this measure, it has just buried the image of the country abroad, its strategy collapsed ”.

The country burns in indignation and sustained marches both in Santiago, as in other major cities, exacerbated moods despite the fact that the state of emergency and curfews were lifted, therefore, it is not prepared to receive the hundreds of activists and demonstrators who accompany the 293 countries in each COP and whose demands before the leaders of the planet always leave some signs of their passage through this world event.

For its part, the WWF organization, one of the most recognized in the world in environmental matters, responded to the Chilean president quickly. In a statement Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, former Minister of Environment of Peru and today WWF Global Climate and Energy Leader said: “We express our concern about the unfortunate news that the Chilean government decided not to host the talks anymore UN annual reports on climate (COP25), which will begin in a few weeks. Urgent climate action is closely linked to social vulnerability, environmental justice, and a just transition. We convey our solidarity with the people of Chile and we thank all Chileans and other people around the world who have been working very hard to make COP25 a success. "

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In a conciliatory and comprehensive tone Ricardo Bosshard, Director of WWF-Chile, indicated that “never before in Chile have we seen so much environmental awareness and concern for justice and equity in the access, use and sustainable management of our natural resources. Conducting COP25 in the country was a dream for those who work for conservation and deeply regret that it has been suspended, but we fully understand the reasons and the context in which this decision occurs. ”

The planet continues to heat up, the weather continues to change, the nervousness in international markets also continues because of the commercial struggle between the United States and China that was intended to settle in Chile but it is understandable that if President Sebastián Piñera has not been able to appease the spirits and to meet the needs of Chileans, much less is in the capacity to welcome hundreds of representatives from countries around the world where they would try to solve problems that afflict the entire planet.