Chilean mining company SQM has been criticised for appointing its former Chairman Julio Ponce as a strategic adviser. The move comes despite a previous agreement that the firm would distance itself from the controversial figure, who had run SQM since it was privatised in the 1980s by his former father-in-law, the late dictator Augusto Pinochet. Government and opposition politicians lined up with representatives of the business community to condemn the decision, which the country's finance minister described as "imprudent". In an interview on Monday Mr Piñera said he did not know about the appointment but added that he wanted to ensure that all political parties were represented at the new board.
Chilean mining company SQM has been criticised for appointing its former Chairman Julio Ponce as a strategic adviser. The move comes despite a previous agreement that the firm would distance itself from the controversial figure, who had run SQM since it was privatised in the 1980s by his former father-in-law, the late dictator Augusto Pinochet. Government and opposition politicians lined up with representatives of the business community to condemn the decision, which the country's finance minister described as "imprudent". The government is looking into whether the appointment breaches a contract signed between them and SQM.