More than a month after Chile took over the presidency and amid declining popularity, a man tried to attack Gabriel Boric by throwing. a stone hit the chest of his chief of staff standing beside him. Minutes later, the culprit was arrested.

The event was recorded this Thursday afternoon at the Plaza de Armas Coquimbo460 kilometers north of the Chilean capital, on his first visit to those regions.

Shortly before a meeting with Coquimbo government authorities began, as was his custom, Boric came over to greet a group of people waiting for him behind a high fence of bars, where there are also some demonstrators who refuse to be president.

The videos show that at that moment someone stone a stone who hit the chief of staff, Matías Meza-Lopehandia, and that was the first Boric was unaware of the incident.

In other footage the projectile can be seen reaching bounced to Boricwho only understands that something happens when security agents take him awayreviewed the sites of the newspaper La Tercera and Radio Cooperativa.

“It was a rock that hit the chest of one of the president’s advisers. The man was detained by the president’s security personnel and handed over to territory personnelto our staff. He was transferred to the police station to use strict procedures, ”Carabineros Colonel Rodrigo Alvarado told Chilevisión.

The attacker was arrested for attacking authorityhas no criminal record, Carabineros reported.

“If anyone thinks they can scare me or change the way we want to govern, andyou are too wrong. We will continue to talk to people who agree with us and also disagree with us, ” Boric said after meeting with Coquimbo authorities.

Boric faced a rapid decline in popularity

Boric, who took office on March 11, is experiencing growth 30 points disapproval last month, up to 50%, while approval was 40 points, according to pollster Plaza Pública Cadem, which conducts weekly telephone polls. Other public opinion firms agree with the increasing dissatisfaction.

Researchers agree that rising local inflation influences the decline in approvals.

Chile for decades has been used to annual inflation of approximately 3%, but in 2021 it finished 7.2%and in March recorded a 1.9% increase in the cost of living, the oldest at 29 years. In the first quarter alone, inflation reached 3.4%.

The Boric government said 40% of Chile’s inflation was due to massive liquidity registered by the market last year as a result of millionaires withdrawing 10% of pension savings funds, amounting to approximately $ 50,000 million. , and on tax subsidies delivered by the previous government. The rest, he maintained, was due to external factors, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Source: agencies

DS