Chilean President invites Mrs. Harper to “finally know paradise” in Andes
Posted Apr 16, 2012 06:11:42 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SANTIAGO, Chile – Billionaire Chilean President Sebastian Pinera tried to entice Laureen Harper Monday to join him on an Andean mountain getaway.
After a pair of speeches by Pinera and Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the subjects of trade and investment, Pinera suddenly interjected with an adventurous proposal for Mrs. Harper.
“I would also like to welcome your wife, because I know she’s a great mountain climber and here you really will finally know paradise,” said Pinera, smiling broadly at Laureen Harper.
“So welcome back to Chile, and I will go with you to climb the most beautiful mountains in our country.”
Pinera is best known to Canadians as the handsome, silver-haired president who stood waiting for 33 Chilean miners to be dramatically rescued in 2010.
Pinera is ranked on Forbes’ list of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion stemming from his former ownership of international TV station Chilevision and a former 27 per cent stake in the LAN airline.
Laureen Harper is a lover of the outdoors, including hiking and camping, and was much more widely travelled than her husband was when he took office in 2006.
When asked later about the mountain climbing offer, Mrs. Harper simply chuckled.
