Chile president sees popularity tumble after quarantine gaffes

In pandemic times, a quick trip to buy a bottle of wine has the potential to spark a national crisis. That’s what happened to Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, who was caught breaking quarantine alongside his security team to shop at an exclusive wine store. Worse than the act itself, Mr. Piñera’s indiscretion occurred while Chile faces the worst stage of its Covid-19 epidemic, with an average of almost 5,000 new cases every 24 hours.

And this is not the first time the president has been caught breaking social isolation rules. On June 24, Mr. Piñera was criticized for attending his uncle’s funeral, which had 30 people in attendance, exceeding the maximum limit of 20. The optics of the event were worsened by the wake ceremony after the service, which included live music.

More than a slip, the two recent controversies followed a series of government conduct that has caused public outrage, such as the resignation of Health Minister Jaime Manalich. Two weeks ago, the head of Chilean...