Santiago de Chile, Nov 18.- Psychologist Gustavo Gatica, who lost his sight during the police repression of the social uprising, is now one of the big winners of the legislative elections in Chile.
The 27-year-old was elected with over 94,400 votes after the Communist Party registered him as an independent candidate in District Eight, which includes the municipalities of Pudahuel, Quilicura, Maipú, Cerrillos, Colina, Estación Central, Lampa, and Tiltil.
“Those who didn’t give up won, who kept dreaming of a fairer country, even when everything seemed uphill,” he wrote on social media.
Gatica thanked those who trusted him and attributed his victory to all those who have been fighting for years to turn dignity from a promise into reality.
The young man suffered total vision loss after being hit by a projectile fired by a police officer during the repression of the popular protests in 2019 against the neoliberal model and social inequalities.
“I take on this challenge with humility, with the conviction that what’s to come is not built alone, but alongside organizations, alongside the people who push every day to live better,” he said.
The newly elected deputy expressed his support for the progressive presidential candidate, Jeannette Jara, who will face José Antonio Kast of the far-right Republican Party at the polls on December 14.
“Jeannette Jara has my support in the second round. Chile needs to deepen changes and safeguard what we have advanced, and I trust that she clearly represents that path with commitment,” he wrote.
About 15.7 million voters were called to the polls on November 16 to choose the next president, the 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies, and 23 of the 50 senators.
