Chilean President Gabriel Boric took to social media to counter the criticism he has received since he viralized a video in which he appears momentarily trapped while slipping on a children’s slide.
“They deny the childhood that we all carry within us, that trench of happiness that we can always fall back on when we need it”, he wrote, recalling memories of his grandfather.
The case began last Saturday (6th), when the leftist leader was seen playing in a children’s playground in the commune of Punta Arenas, in the extreme south of Chile.
In the captured moment, which reverberated through the networks, Boric is seen climbing on the toboggan and getting stuck for a few moments when leaving the toy. He appeared to be there accompanied only by First Lady Irina Karamanos.
The prank was the target of criticism from his opponents over the weekend, especially this Sunday (7), when Boric’s left-wing coalition reaped a defeat in the election of advisers who will write a new constitution for Chile.
If you want to know where Boric is going, they tell you what I’m stunned on a children’s toboggan in Punta Arenas and it broke. Para eso tiene tiempo por que de gobernar NADA pic.twitter.com/1xyZRjnENa
— Emilia 🇨🇱 (@camilaemiliasv) May 6, 2023
“If you want to know what Boric is up to, let me tell you that he got stuck on a kiddie slide in Punta Arenas and broke it. He has time for that, because governing nothing,” wrote a Twitter user.
“Chile needs a president, not a child who gets angry at the country because he wants to remain a child when he is an adult,” added another Chilean. “As the country crumbles, Boric is trapped in a children’s slide,” wrote another naysayer.
“They deny childhood”, counters the president
Still on Saturday night (6), Boric used his official Instagram profile to explain the joke and hit critics.
He wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather, who was born in Punta Arenas in 1908, always took him around our city and “told him stories of the ancient Magallanes [Moure] and he showed me with his slow and deep voice the history of the places we walked”.
View this post on Instagram
“I remember traveling back in time with him on those walks. […] Since then, whenever I’m in Punta Arenas, I think of him when I cross a bridge or see an empty toboggan, and I would never fail to slide them, even if there are indiscreet people who try to steal that moment or bitter criticism, “he added.
“Because they deny the childhood that we all carry within us, that trench of happiness that we can always fall back on when we need it. I leave you a hug full of winds from the south and firm in the trust in the wisdom of our people and its history”, concluded the Chilean president.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
