Chilean constituent who faked cancer resigns as vice-president of body drafting new Constitution

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The body that will draft Chile’s new Constitution confirmed Sunday the resignation of constituent Rodrigo Rojas, a leader of the 2019 protests who confessed to faking cancer, an issue on which he based his election campaign and a scandal that has shaken the entire country.

“Given the seriousness of the facts, we have accepted the resignation that Mr. Rojas has presented this afternoon to the deputy vice president of the convention (…) We will initiate the corresponding internal procedures,” said in a statement the body’s executive board.

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Previously, the president of the Assembly, Elisa Loncón, had assured that the issue would be analyzed next Monday. A position will be given once “all the information in a formal manner” is available.

“The convention knows how to act and will act in the fairest and best way that can be done with respect to this problem”, added Loncón.

Rojas, who until today was one of the seven vice presidents of the convention, confessed on Saturday to the lie, a new controversy that soils the People’s List, a heterogeneous group of independents that emerged from the 2019 protests and whose success in the constituents was seen as a rejection of the traditional parties.

During the demonstrations, considered the prelude to the drafting of the new Constitution, the 37-year-old activist claimed on several occasions that he suffered from mixed lymphoblastic leukemia and vindicated Chilean healthcare, criticized by many for its high costs and privatization.

After months in the streets, Rojas jumped into politics as one of the founders of the People’s List, which in May won 27 of the 155 seats in the convention, concentrating his speech and his campaign around his disease, about which he spoke in several interviews and on the Internet.

On Saturday, the independent acknowledged that he suffers from another disease with a “great social stigma” and added that he felt “a lot of shame for the damage it could bring to his family” to acknowledge his true diagnosis.

The political future of Rojas is uncertain, given the exceptional nature of the situation. However, experts point out that the voluntary resignation of a convention delegate, a position governed by the rules of parliamentarians, is not contemplated.

The lie unleashed countless reproaches in social networks and fierce criticism from the ruling party, which demanded Rojas’ departure and harshly criticized the People’s List.

The conservative Sebastián Sichel, one of the favorite candidates for the presidential elections next November, added that “the decomposition of the left and the lack of leadership reaffirms the challenge of majorities that guarantee governability.”

“It is outrageous that he has used such a painful disease to make a political campaign, a speech based on a big lie (….) His permanence discredits the constituent body,” affirmed the deputy of Renovación Nacional (right), Tomás Fuentes.

Meanwhile, some leftist figures downplayed the situation and showed their support for the activist. “No one deserves public scrutiny for or against having an illness, a big hug and a lot of strength,” said independent constituent Natalia Henríquez.