Kast's Policies Spark Political Backlashactive

A number of opposition mayors criticized the increase in fuel prices announced by the government of José Antonio Kast as a response to the fiscal effects of the rising international price of oil. In a statement, 26 municipal leaders – including Tomás Vodanovic, from Maipú, and Matías Toledo, from Puente Alto – expressed their "deep concern" about the consequences of this measure "on the daily lives of millions of people and on the functioning of municipalities." They stated: "The increase in fuel prices is not an abstract issue; it directly impacts the cost of transportation, food, basic services, and family finances. Furthermore, it seriously strains municipal operations, increasing the cost of essential services such as waste collection, maintenance of public spaces, and community safety." Having made that point, the local authorities emphasized that they have, "from the very beginning," expressed their willingness "to collaborate with the government in finding solutions." "We believe in dialogue, in agreements, and in shared responsibility in the face of complex situations. However, we also have the duty to represent our residents and to speak out when the measures adopted or proposed are not moving in the right direction," they added. With that, to replace this measure, which will come into effect this Thursday, they proposed...

SANTIAGO, Chile – The government of José Antonio Kast has decided to withdraw Chile's support for Michelle Bachelet's candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), a decision that marks a shift in the country's foreign policy and raises questions about the region's influence in the selection of the next head of the organization. Bachelet's candidacy had been supported by the previous government of Gabriel Boric, with the joint backing of Brazil and Mexico. However, the new Chilean administration believes that the international landscape and the lack of regional consensus significantly hinder her chances. "The dispersion of candidacies from Latin American countries and the differences with some of the key players involved in this process make this candidacy and its potential success unfeasible," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in an official statement. The government added that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chilean embassies will cease actively promoting Bachelet's candidacy. However, it clarified that if the former president decides to continue her campaign, Chile will refrain from supporting any other candidate, in recognition of her international track record. Bachelet, 74, is a prominent figure in global politics. She was the first woman to become President of Chile, a position she held for two terms (2006-2010 and 2014-2018), and subsequently held key positions in…

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Pérez Mackenna, addressed journalists at the Congress regarding the decision to withdraw Chile's support for the candidacy of former President Michelle Bachelet for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations. The candidacy was submitted with the support of Brazil and Mexico. The Foreign Minister was asked whether these governments had been formally informed of this decision, and he responded that the process was underway through diplomatic missions at the UN. He also emphasized that "this is a sovereign decision of the Chilean government." "The government believes that the candidacy is not viable, and there are two main reasons. The first is the high number of Latin American candidates, and the second is information we have gathered from key players in this process, who have expressed some differences," Pérez Mackenna stated, echoing information previously released in a statement from the Ministry of Relations with the Government. According to him, President José Antonio Kast personally informed the former president of this position. "President Kast did indeed meet with former President Bachelet on Friday, and I believe that was the topic of their conversation," commented the head of Chilean diplomacy.

Opposition figures reacted strongly to the government of José Antonio Kast's decision to withdraw Chile's support for the candidacy of former President Michelle Bachelet for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations. Constanza Martínez, president of the Frente Amplio (FA), stated, "Chile's republican tradition in international affairs does not distinguish political colors." "Supporting a figure of Bachelet's stature was a duty of the state, not an ideological favor. Foreign policy should be a policy of the state and cannot be driven from a partisan position or with petty tactics." José Toro Kemp, Secretary-General of the PPD, argued that this decision constitutes a strategy by the Executive branch to "divert attention" from the rising price of fuels. "What are we to expect now? Will the President pardon Maturana or Krassnoff if the price of gasoline rises another 100 pesos, just to divert attention?" the PPD leader asked. From the same political party, Deputy Raúl Soto stated that "it was disrespectful to have made the former President Bachelet wait so long." "In the midst of the crisis caused by the rising price of fuels, they are communicating this decision as a kind of smokescreen." In the Socialist Party (PS), the party to which Bachelet belongs, Deputy Nelson Venegas, a member of the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Relations Committee, expressed that "it's a disgrace..."

Following a series of announcements by the Minister of Finance, Jorge Quiroz, regarding fuel prices, the opposition criticized the potential impact of these decisions on the population. Specifically, Quiroz announced on Monday evening a significant increase of $370 for gasoline and $580 for diesel, effective this Thursday. In response, he also detailed a series of mitigating measures. In this context, Paulina Vodanovic, the president of the Socialist Party, stated that she believes it is "a serious mistake to suspend the Mepco, which is a mechanism specifically designed for this type of emergency." The senator from Maule explained that the government's measures will lead to "a decrease in people's purchasing power and their quality of life. We believe that the government is making a mistake with this measure, and we will be studying what comes next in relation to the bill concerning certain subsidies." Along the same lines, Lautaro Carmona, the leader of the Communist Party, believes that the formula proposed by Quiroz will cause the effects of the crisis to fall "on the shoulders of workers and the middle class." "The large industries and industrialists who are making exorbitant profits will be well protected. The burden is being shifted to those who are not responsible for this crisis," he added. "This will have a direct consequence on essential products, and therefore..."

The Minister of Finance, Jorge Quiroz, announced a package of seven measures this Monday to address the sharp increase in fuel prices, a situation exacerbated by the war in the Middle East and its effects on the global energy market. The plan comes alongside a historic price increase that will take effect this Thursday, with estimated increases of up to $370 per liter for gasoline and nearly $580 for diesel. These figures reflect the impact of an international shock that has driven prices up in just a few weeks. According to the minister, the conflict has caused a significant disruption in global oil trade, particularly due to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to increases of up to 60% in diesel and 30% in gasoline prices internationally. In this regard, the head of the Ministry of Finance emphasized that the country is facing this crisis with a complex fiscal situation, which limits the ability to continue cushioning prices through the MEPCO (a subsidy mechanism). "The cost of maintaining current prices is $160 million per week," he warned, pointing out that maintaining that level of subsidy is unsustainable for the national treasury. In this context, the government has opted for a set of targeted measures to mitigate the impact, particularly on transportation and vulnerable sectors. The seven measures announced: The plan includes the first two measures, which are administrative, and the five following measures, which require…

Only the regionalist and radical parties were missing. The rest of the parties that formed the governing coalition of former President Gabriel Boric – now in opposition – met this Monday in the Senate in Santiago to discuss a joint coordination strategy to counter the measures proposed by President José Antonio Kast. Shortly after noon, representatives from the Frente Amplio (Constanza Martínez, Andrés Couble, and Diego Ibáñez), the Communist Party (Lautaro Carmona, Bárbara Figueroa, and Claudia Pascual), the Socialist Party (Paulina Vodanovic, Arturo Barrios, and Raúl Leiva), the Partido Por la Democracia (Jaime Quintana), the Liberal Party (Juan Carlos Urzúa, Nicole Troncoso, and Luis Malla), and Acción Humanista (Ana María Gazmuri and Efrén Osorio) arrived at the former Congress building in Santiago. José Toro (PPD) and the leader of the Christian Democrat (DC) parliamentary group, Ricardo Díaz, also participated via teleconference. Inevitably, given that the meeting was intended to coordinate a response to Kast's policies, the main topic was the measures that the Executive branch would announce that evening, which would include adjustments to the Fuel Price Stabilization Mechanism (Mepco) in response to the crisis in the Middle East. Some of these measures will be implemented through decrees, while the mitigation measures will be debated in Congress. With this context, the opposition was put on alert. During the meeting, the specific details of the measures were not yet known.

Negotiations between different factions in the Senate will continue until Tuesday morning, with the aim of reaching an administrative agreement. While part of the agreement has already been realized with the election of Paulina Núñez (RN) as president of the Upper House, the composition of the legislative committees still needs to be resolved. These committees are crucial for the legislative process, as they can either expedite or block proposed legislation. The problem is that until the committees are formed, no new bills can be processed, as they must first be reviewed by these legislative bodies. This situation has caused particular concern at the presidential palace, which intends to introduce a legal amendment this week to mitigate the increase in fuel prices, especially paraffin, which will be presented to the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday. To prevent this from affecting a government measure aimed at helping the most vulnerable sectors of society, the leaders of the different factions have decided to make an exception and allow the Finance Committee to be formed, even if there is no full agreement on the other matters. Furthermore, it has been agreed that, at least for the first year, this strategically important committee (responsible for analyzing any tax changes or initiatives with fiscal implications) will be chaired by Senator Javier Macaya (UDI). According to the same sources, the agreement also stipulates that the five parties with the largest number of senators will propose a candidate for…