Chilean president impeached over Pandora Papers revelation
ABC News
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has been impeached by the lower house of Chile’s congress, setting up a trial in the nation’s Senate over allegations he favored the sale of a family property while in office
SANTIAGO, Chile -- President Sebastián Piñera was impeached Tuesday by the lower house of Chile's congress, setting up a trial in the nation's Senate over allegations he favored the sale of a family property while in office.
The vote to impeach got the bare minimum of 78 votes needed in the 155-member Chamber of Deputies and followed a marathon 20-hour session. Sixty-seven legislators voted against impeachment, including several members of the opposition. Others abstained or were absent.
It's unlikely he will be removed by the 43-member Senate, where the opposition has only 24 of the 29 votes needed to remove a president.
The accusation stems from publication of the so-called Pandora Papers, which revealed offshore financial dealings of prominent figures around the world, including Piñera, one of Chile’s wealthiest people.