Chilean women rally against senator supporting convicted abuser: Video
Hundreds of Chilean women rallied outside the Supreme Court of Justice in Santiago on July 24, protesting against Senator Javier Macaya, who defended his father, convicted of child sexual abuse.
In a recent interview, Macaya asserted his father's innocence in the sex abuse case involving family members. He criticized the legal process, claiming his father’s conviction was based on a recording made without consent and a "highly edited" video, according to AFP.
Amid growing outrage, Macaya resigned as president of the conservative Independent Democratic Union (UDI) on July 23. In his resignation statement, he emphasized his intention to protect the minors involved and his party’s performance, stating, "I would never allow a family situation, however painful, to further affect the minors involved and also the performance of my party."
However, Macaya remains a senator, as Chilean law does not permit members of Congress to resign from their posts. One protester voiced the public sentiment, telling AFP, “I find that a senator of the Republic cannot be in Congress when he has lied to the whole country.”
Eduardo Macaya, 72, was sentenced to six years in prison for repeated sexual abuse of minors. Initially taken to Rancagua prison on July 19 for preventive detention, the appeals court overturned this decision on July 22, placing him under house arrest instead.
