President Kast chose to sacrifice a not insignificant margin of political support in order to keep the Justice Minister in his post. The government has tried to convince itself that the only thing that matters is escaping the constitutional accusation and that, given the weakness of its legal grounds, it has a high probability of doing so. Even so, even in that eventuality, La Moneda will have little to celebrate. The cost of aligning the governing coalition behind a highly unpopular cause, and the image damage already done, will not be remedied by counting votes. It is even likely that the rejection of the initiative will only add a certain sense of impunity regarding the minister's decision to reduce the sentences of rapists and child abusers.
This and other political missteps —the latest being the creation of a security attaché position in Paraguay for former minister Steinert—, together with the economic deterioration caused by rising fuel prices and unemployment, have the government today at its worst moment of its first eight months. Since the Rabat case broke out, the polls have shown a significant drop in approval of the Executive, already placing it at around 25% support. This weakness has now become a breeding ground, that is, a major incentive for the opposition and organized social actors to take to the streets to air their demands and strike at the authorities. That is what the truckers did this week: an indefinite work stoppage, forcing...
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Santiago, April 24, 2026.
The President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast, holds a press conference addressing current affairs.
Jonnathan Oyarzun/Aton Chile JONNATHAN OYARZUN/ATON CHILE CommentsPresident Kast chose to sacrifice a not insignificant margin of political support in order to keep the Justice Minister in his post. The government has tried to convince itself that the only thing that matters is dodging the impeachment, and that, given the weakness of its legal grounds, it has a high probability of doing so. Even so, even in that event, La Moneda will have little to celebrate. The cost of aligning the ruling coalition behind a highly unpopular cause and the image damage already done will not be remedied by counting votes. It is even likely that the rejection of the initiative will only add a certain sense of impunity regarding the minister's decision to reduce sentences for rapists and child abusers. This and other political missteps —the latest being the creation of a security attaché position in Paraguay for former minister Steinert—, combined with the economic deterioration caused by rising fuel prices and unemployment, have the government today at its worst moment of its first eight months. Since the Rabat case broke, polls show a significant drop in approval of the Executive, already placing it at around 25% support. This weakness has now become a breeding ground, that is, a major incentive for the opposition and organized social actors to take to the streets to air their demands and strike at the authorities. That is what truckers did this week: an indefinite work stoppage, forcing the authorities to negotiate and ultimately obtaining benefits worth 900 million dollars. In that situation, Minister Alvarado stood out as a good negotiator; he managed to align the government and defuse a complex stoppage within 72 hours. But the political price of being forced to give in in a critical situation and the magnitude of the economic resources put on the table are no cause for celebration. Moreover, because it will be an incentive for new actors, who will seek to take advantage of governmental weakness as the truckers did; there are already calls for mobilizations by the CUT, the Confech, neighborhood organizations, the Teachers' Association, among others. Thus, the government's recent decisions have only confirmed something obvious: choosing political wear and tear is not free, even more so when the country is in economic recession, with fuel prices through the roof and unemployment approaching double digits. In short, La Moneda accelerated the timetable; it cast the line to the left-wing forces and social movements, sectors with the tradition and experience to seize these opportunities, especially when the right governs. With its spiral of weakness, Kast's government has opened hunting season, a situation in which opposition social and political forces will seek to progressively escalate mobilizations, with destabilization as their horizon. That is the price of the ruling coalition's weakness, to which, incredibly, the government itself decided to contribute. By Max Colodro, philosopher and political analystMore on:José Antonio KastTruckers' strikeGovernmentoppositionFernando RabatTrinidad SteinertLT SundayNEWSLETTEROpinionSaturday, AMTense ideas, opposing views and clear analysis: elements to unravel the issues that divide opinions and will set the agenda. By signing up you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.