Former President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, Dies in Helicopter Crash

• Chilean ex-President Sebastián Piñera, who served two terms and was also a billionaire businessman, has died in a helicopter crash at the age of 74
• Three other people aboard the aircraft survived when it came down in a lake near the southern town of Lago Ranco
• Legit.ng learnt that Piñera’s body recovered from the scene of the crash in a lake near the southern town of Lago Ranco

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism and global news.

Santiago, Chile - Former president of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, has died in a helicopter crash.

The helicopter conveying the former world leader crashed in the Los Ríos region of southern Chile, his office said in a statement on Tuesday, February 6.

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Per Reuters, Interior Minister Carolina Toha confirmed the death of the 74-year-old former president, who held the office from 2010 to 2014 and from 2018 to 2022.

Mourning the deceased leader, Paula Daza, the former undersecretary of public health of Chile, wrote on her known X handle:

"Today, we lost a great President of Chile, leader and strategist. Personally, the president Sebastian Pinera was a reference, guide and advisor.

"Today, I pay my most sincere tribute and my condolences to his family, whom I so respect."

Legit.ng reports that Late Pinera was Chile’s president from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022.

At the time of the crash, there was widespread rainfall in the area, but it is unclear if the weather caused the crash, CNN noted.

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Chile president to receive draft constitution

In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that after being worked on for a year, Chile's new draft constitution will be officially submitted to its president before eventually being put to a referendum in the deeply polarised country.

The new text, which will replace the constitution written during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973-1990), aims to establish new social rights.

It was drawn up by a constituent assembly of 154 citizens, most of whom were independent of political affiliation.

Source: Legit.ng