Sebastian Pinera

“Chile isn't the biggest, richest or most powerful country in the world, but we should dedicate ourselves to transforming it into the best country in the world. We don't have a single minute to lose.”

“I think the U.S. should assert its leadership in a more effective way.”

“I would say that the U.S. has overlooked Latin America. Their priorities have always been somewhere else. And that is a problem and that is a mistake.”

“I believe in a real democratic system, with a state of law and freedom of the press. I believe in a free, open-market economy integrated with the world. And I believe in equality of opportunity. Those are my basic beliefs. On top of that, of course, I believe in some moral values.”

“Economic and financial crisis are getting much more usual, and they are not confined to a given country but they immediately spread all over the world, and you have to be prepared for that.”

“Business is a useful tool in politics, but it's not enough. You need much more than to be a good businessman, to be a good politician.”

“We've got to move beyond the idea that the public and private sectors are at odds. Government has to lay the groundwork for private equity to productively invest in things like education. It's a partnership, not a battle.”

“On one hand, it is very important that democracy and human rights be defended across borders. But it is also very important to respect the right of each country to choose its own path.”

“To have a stable economy, to have a stable democracy, and to have a modern government is not enough. We have to build new pillars of development. Education, science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, and more equality.”

“You will never solve the American problems just by printing money.”

“I grew up middle class. My father was a public functionary who didn't leave an inheritance, just debts.”

“I deeply believe that marriage is by nature between a man and a woman, but that conviction does not prevent me from recognising that other forms of affective relationships exist.”

“Countries with deficit don't want to pay the bill, and they want to get more loans, and countries with superiority, they don't want to help the countries with problems, and they just want them to tighten their belts.”

“No child should be left behind - I've heard this from President Obama. And here, we say in Latin America, no country should be left behind.”

“Life is tough - and you have to be tougher than life to change the world.”

“I'm a person with a lot of affection for adventure - I scuba dive, skydive, fly helicopters.”

“Chile is not a rich country in terms of gas, or oil or coal, but we are extremely rich in terms of the energies of the future.”