Arturo Squella apologizes to Hernán Larraín over Paul Schäfer comment

Arturo Squella, president of the Republican Party, has issued an apology to former Justice Minister Hernán Larraín following a controversial social media post. The incident began when Larraín published a statement clarifying his efforts to prevent sentence reductions for sex offenders during his tenure under President Sebastián Piñera.

In response, Squella posted on X, asking, “How valuable it would have been to have this law in effect in the era of Paul Schäfer, don't you think Hernán?” The comment alluded to Larraín’s past connections to Paul Schäfer, the convicted founder of Colonia Dignidad. The remark drew sharp criticism from the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), with leaders calling the comments “injurious” and “irresponsible.”

Squella subsequently contacted Larraín and UDI president Guillermo Ramírez to apologize, admitting his response was disproportionate and lacked justification. Larraín confirmed he accepted the apologies and stated he would move forward with his work for Chile.