La Higuera, Landau, 9th of November 2024: La Higuera has voted. On 27th of October, municipal and gubernatorial elections were held in the small municipality (4,285 inhabitants), as in the rest of Chile. Mayors, municipal councillors, governors and regional councillors were elected - comparable to municipal councillors at regional level only. The elections in La Higuera were of particular interest for the protection of the Humboldt penguin and its habitat, as the valuable ecosystem ‘Humboldt Archipelago’ and the associated coastal villages (1) are located there. The candidates were Uberlinda Aquea from the Socialist Party and Dinka Herrera from the UDI-Independent Democratic Union. A piquant alternative, as Señora Herrera is the wife of the previous mayor Yerko Galleguillos, who was unable to stand for re-election after three terms. He has been under investigation for fraud and corruption for many months. There are currently 15 pending lawsuits and 4 arrest warrants. With his alleged abuse of office, Señor Galleguillos has caused a huge financial and administrative crisis for the municipality of La Higuera. Due to unpaid bills and debts, the municipality is facing claims totalling around CLP 1.7 billion (approx. EUR 1.7 million). The municipality is even threatened with seizure of its property. Señor Galleguillos has so far used medical certificates and a constitutional complaint to prevent his lawful arrest and delay the proceedings.
We remember. Yerko Galleguillos consistently fought against the creation of the Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area. He repeatedly discredited the project as ‘politically biased’, ‘partisan’ and ‘factually unfounded’. Shortly before the decision regarding the conservation zone, he said: ‘People talk about the extinction of the penguin and the Yunco (2), but I talk about the extinction of my neighbours who have no work. ... When are we going to talk about humans and stop talking about fish and birds?’ (see News 7th of April 2024). Yerko Galleguillos is a member of the UDI (Independent Democratic Union), a right-wing conservative party, and is considered a follower of Senator Sergio Gahona, also of the UDI, who has represented the interests of the mining companies Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP) and Andes Iron for many years.
On 27th of October, the citizens of La Higuera elected Uberlinda Aquea as their new mayor with 49.7% against 42.61% of the vote. A great success, as the background makes clear. La Higuera has around 4,300 inhabitants, which corresponds to around 3,200 eligible voters. However, 5,035 people were actually entitled to vote. For years, Yerko Galleguillos and his supporters have been motivating people to register as voters because they supposedly or actually work in the municipality, even though they do not live there. According to the online newspaper El Comunal, the candidate Dinka Herrera gave away food to the needy from the municipality's funds shortly before the election. Presumably a serious breach of electoral regulations.
Uberlinda Aquea takes up her (difficult) office on 6th of December. Debt and corrupt structures will make it much more difficult to move the municipality forward and promote the well-being of the majority. The new mayor does not see the Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area as an obstacle, but as a resource for positive development.
W. K.
notes
(1) Coastal villages Caleta Los Hornos, Chungungo, Totoralillio Norte, Pt. de Choros, Punta Colorada, Los Choros, Punta de Choros.
(2) Yunko. Tucano do Peru (Pelecanoides garnotii)
Source
El Comual La Higuera - electronic newspaper La Higuera
translated by Claudia Fawer
