The Senate dismissed the constitutional accusation against former Energy Minister Diego Pardow, despite broad support for the proposal in the Chamber of Deputies. Votes from opposition senators were key in the decision, marking the eighth frustration for the opposition in such processes against the current government. Pardow, a Frente Amplio militant, called on his sector to de-escalate the use of this political tool.
The proposal to bring a constitutional accusation against Diego Pardow arose in the context of excess charges in electricity tariffs. Although it advanced in the Chamber of Deputies, in the Senate the two chapters were rejected thanks to votes from several opposition senators. This outcome represents the eighth time the opposition has seen a constitutional accusation against current government ministers or officials frustrated.
The Senate acted with deliberation, carefully examining the case, hearing opinions, and voting in conscience, without being influenced by the electoral climate. Pardow valued this institutional role and reflected on the use of constitutional accusations. He acknowledged that his own sector, the Frente Amplio, contributed to their instrumentalization during Sebastián Piñera's second presidency, when there was an explosion of such processes, including two against the president himself.
Pardow stated that 'the democratic deliberation system is worse' after these accusations and advocated for a 'de-escalation,' urging his sector to take the initiative. He highlighted the opposition's gesture in his case and criticized past attitudes of the current officialdom when it was in opposition. The President, at Piñera's funeral in February last year, admitted that 'as opposition... quarrels and recriminations went beyond what was fair and reasonable at times. We have learned from it, and we all should do so'.
Deputy Gonzalo Winter recently acknowledged that it was a mistake to bring a constitutional accusation against Piñera. The government spokesperson called on the Senate to reject the accusation against Pardow, arguing that holding a minister accountable for matters outside their competence would affect the future of governments. These reflections respond to the experience of assuming government responsibilities, promoting greater institutional care and distance from extreme logics of 'octubrismo'.
However, not all left-wing sectors have internalized these lessons, as seen in campaign events for candidate Jeannette Jara with offensive chants against Carabineros. The case reactivated debate on the original use of accusations as effective oversight, not as political trials.