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Original article: «Se tomaron rápido el viadil y ahora andan tocando puertas en Rapallo»: El tenso cruce Cretton y Cruz-Coke por «abandono» a Matthei

Tensions Rise as Cretton and Cruz-Coke Clash Over Alleged Abandonment of Matthei’s Presidential Campaign

With less than a week to go before the presidential runoff elections, a heated exchange on social media took place on Monday between UDI vice president Eduardo Cretton and Evópoli senator Luciano Cruz-Coke, discussing the perceived abandonment faced by Evelyn Matthei from within the «Chile Vamos» coalition.

The back-and-forth began when Cretton, recently elected as a deputy for La Araucanía, shared an interview with El Mercurio on his X account, where he expressed strong criticisms of the coalition that his party is a part of.

“Chile Vamos has adopted a very technocratic discourse that has distanced popular sectors from our option,” he stated, referring to the low support the coalition received in the first round of presidential elections, where Matthei finished fifth with just 13.40% of the vote.

The connection between the UDI and Republicans during José Antonio Kast’s campaign raised concerns that “the political offer of Chile Vamos was about how to manage, rather than presenting a national vision,” explaining much of the defeat they suffered in the first round.

According to Cretton, the UDI must regain its identity “by building better connections with middle and lower classes, reminiscent of the ‘popular UDI’ led by Pablo Longueira in the past.”

“The UDI must reinforce its identity, and this involves being the main unifier of the right-wing factions,” he emphasized.

This critical diagnosis was met with a response from Alberto Cardemil, a notable figure in Chile Vamos, former deputy and ex-president of RN, who deemed the comments as untimely.

“To begin with, before even reading it, the analysis is inappropriate. Effective contributions and invitations for political action should occur within internal spaces, not through the media or social networks. This applies to all leaderships, whether real or self-proclaimed from RN or UDI,” Cardemil pointed out.

Matthei Was Abandoned by Those Who Didn’t Invest in Her

The words of the former RN leader found support from Evópoli senator Luciano Cruz-Coke, who also criticized Cretton for his “disappearance” during Evelyn Matthei’s presidential campaign.

“Unnecessary and disloyal. Evelyn Matthei was abandoned by those who didn’t put any effort into her campaign, even when just months earlier they were embracing her. They asked not to take photos or include her in their campaign materials. Now they are giving lessons after selling out for a mere pittance,” he asserted.

Following this, UDI’s vice president targeted the senator, suggesting, “Those senators must have sold out for a song to have saved Pardow’s skin,” referring to Cruz-Coke’s vote against the constitutional accusation against former Energy Minister Diego Pardow regarding alleged administrative inefficiency and probity violations that adversely impacted consumers.

“Here we all fall with our boots on, even when we thought the campaign took a wrong turn. It would do the ‘liberal right’ good to engage in self-reflection regarding their disappearance,” Cretton noted.

Additionally, he published a message alluding to a statement made by Evópoli president Juan Manuel Santa Cruz, who during the first-round campaign expressed that it would “hurt his stomach” to support José Antonio Kast.

“By the way, Luciano, I see that those who were ‘feeling sick’ have quickly taken the viadil and are now knocking on doors in Rapallo (the headquarters of Kast’s campaign),” he remarked.

Amid this exchange of words, Alberto Cardemil urged for calm. “Don’t fight now; every day, month, and year has its own challenges,” he indicated.

However, Cruz-Coke continued the altercation and criticized Cretton for his absence during Matthei’s campaign.

“A disappearance like yours during Evelyn Matthei’s campaign,” he stated.

“We never disappeared from the campaign,” the newly elected parliamentarian from district 22 replied, reminding Cruz-Coke of the formal disappearance of his party—dependent on Servel’s decree in the coming months.

“1: We never disappeared from the campaign. 2: Yours is due to Servel. Regards,” he concluded.

La entrada Tensions Rise as Cretton and Cruz-Coke Clash Over Alleged Abandonment of Matthei’s Presidential Campaign se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.