Divided reactions to the agreement between the government and truckers: from "a solution that will benefit families" to "it comes too late and is insufficient"

Shortly after Interior and General Government Minister (biminister) Claudio Alvarado announced an agreement between President José Antonio Kast's government and the main truckers' unions to end the three-day stoppage, reactions were not long in coming, revealing a divide over the measure. One of the first to support the outcome of the negotiations was senator and chairwoman of the Transport Committee, Camila Flores (RN), who "enormously" valued the measure, though she lamented that "we had to reach this situation." "But ultimately what matters is to value that an agreement and a way out were achieved, which will benefit the union, but also all Chileans," she said, while also committing to legislate as quickly as possible in the committee she heads to implement "all laws that benefit our compatriots." CAMILA FLORES. Photo: Mario Tellez. MARIO TELLEZ She was joined by Republican deputy Paz Charpentier, who highlighted that "the Executive listened and achieved through dialogue a solution that will benefit families who juggle to make ends meet." "Now it falls to us to process the committed measures urgently in Congress, while safeguarding fiscal resources. For this reason, during the day we asked the left to grant the necessary unanimity to process, in parallel with the Budget, the Executive's bill that will allow containing fuel price increases until February 2027," she added. She then criticized the opposition because, in her view, its legislators refused the request, "delaying its processing, giving a new display of disloyalty to Chile and to the families who need this answer." Legislator Macarena Santelices (IND-UDI) also emphasized the agreement, stating that "problems are solved with dialogue, political will, and concrete decisions." "While some dedicated themselves to questioning, the Executive sat down to negotiate and managed to deliver real relief to thousands of Chilean families. This is the path Chile needs: a government that listens, that acts, and that is capable of reconciling fiscal responsibility with the needs of our neighbors. Fewer criticisms and more solutions," the deputy stressed. Another who highlighted the pact reached by the Executive with part of the truckers was deputy Erich Grohs (PNL), who valued the measure "because it allows moving toward normality and giving peace of mind to families." Although he noted that "we must go further and address the underlying problem." "From the PNL we have proposed eliminating the specific fuel tax and reviewing MEPCO, because we need to reduce the tax burden that directly affects Chileans' pockets. The challenge now is to move toward permanent solutions," he argued. Likewise, Tomás Kast (Evópoli) valued the pact, since it allows the country to return to normality, also highlighting that "dialogue made it possible to find a solution to a complex situation." "Now the challenge is to fulfill the commitments and continue advancing sustainable measures that respond to the needs of Chileans without compromising fiscal responsibility or the future of our economy," said the deputy from La Araucanía. Critical voices on the agreement But not all reactions were praise, and among the critical voices was that of deputy Roberto Arroyo (PDG), because he considered that "the government's agreement with the truckers comes late and is insufficient." "Freezing fuel prices until March 2027 may provide momentary relief, but it offers no certainty about what will happen afterward. What will happen on April 1? Will we face sharp increases again that end up hitting the pockets of families, transporters, and small entrepreneurs?" he said. He then stated that "we cannot keep governing with patches. A structural solution is needed, a clear exit plan, and transparency about who will ultimately bear the cost." "I have raised it: we must open a serious discussion on eliminating the specific fuel tax. Chileans need certainty, not just temporary freezes," he argued. For his part, independent senator Karim Bianchi said that "even if it bears the minister's signature, this has not yet gone through Congress. Therefore, this depends on a procedure, on a law." He then told Estado Nacional Prime that "I hope it changes, because today this can indeed be beneficial for the truckers. But today the problem is lived by the citizenry; the majority does not have diesel vehicles." "Many people think these 142 pesos will apply to all vehicles, and that will not be the case (...) I hope we can talk so that this can be extended to the citizenry, who are the ones affected by all these increases and by bad news all week," he said, adding that "there is no real help for the people here."