The celebration of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, scheduled for February in 2021, currently seems less and less likely to be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The issue returned to the fore after Chile’s Minister of Health Enrique Paris stated that the event should not be held. When participating in a television space of Channel 13, precisely one of the television stations that broadcast the festival, Paris pointed out that ‘in February, even if we have vaccines, we will not have the entire population vaccinated and we may have a huge outbreak of the novel coronavirus,’ adding that ‘there is no way to control people.’ Immediately, from the city of Viña del Mar, the mayoress Virginia Reginato announced that she will convene an expanded commission aiming to define alternatives for the traditional event to happen. Meanwhile, the National Television (TVN), which along with Channel 13 has the broadcasting rights of the contest, summoned its board of directors for September 30 with a view to analyzing the situation, because according to the director of the channel, Francisco Guijon, what was said by the minister it is very relevant, since he prioritizes the health of Chileans.
