Chilean Congress approves Chilean-Palestinian Friendship Day

The Chilean Chamber of Deputies has approved a project to establish January 7 as the Chilean-Palestinian Friendship and Solidarity Day. The initiative passed with 100 votes in favor, 9 against, and 20 abstentions.

The chosen date commemorates January 7, 2011, when Chile officially recognized the State of Palestine during the administration of President Sebastián Piñera. The project aims to honor the historical ties between the two nations and recognize the significant Palestinian community in Chile, which is estimated to include approximately 500,000 people, the largest such community outside the Arab world.

Palestinian Ambassador Vera Baboun expressed gratitude for the approval, noting the transversal nature of the initiative and its connection to Chilean foreign policy regarding human rights and the self-determination of peoples. The project now awaits promulgation to become law.

In the Valparaíso Region, representatives from District 6, Chiara Barchiesi and Benjamín Lorca of the Republican Party, were the only local deputies to vote against the measure.