MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kast defends first 81 days in office ahead of first “Cuenta Pública” before Chilean Congress

“These 81 days have felt to many like 365, because many things happen, but I want to underline that we are moving forward through facts because this is a hands-on government,” Kast said

Chilean President José Antonio Kast on Sunday defended the first 81 days of his administration and reaffirmed his main campaign promises on security and migration, on the eve of his first “Cuenta Pública” address to the National Congress, scheduled for Monday in Valparaíso. The far-right leader took office on 11 March and faces on Monday his annual accountability address amid a sustained decline in approval ratings and on the eve of the first legislative test for his government, the Senate vote on the so-called tax megareform.

“These 81 days have felt to many like 365, because many things happen, but I want to underline that we are moving forward through facts because this is a hands-on government,” Kast said during the sixth edition of the “Presidente Presente” initiative, held in Valparaíso, seat of the Chilean Parliament 110 kilometres from the capital. The format, one of the ruling coalition's communications strategies, consists of citizen-led meetings with direct questions for the president. “The things we proposed during the campaign we will fulfil step by step, and we will confront illegal immigration step by step, and we will go after criminals step by step,” he stated.

On the security front, the central pillar of his presidential campaign, the executive announced the design of a law against incivilities, a plan to intervene in the fifty neighbourhoods considered critical in the country, and a registry of vandals. “We are designing the plan for the 50 critical neighbourhoods to generate a robust police force and a total occupation of certain areas to recover them,” the president announced. The Security portfolio was reassigned to former Public Works Minister Martín Arrau in the government's first cabinet reshuffle twelve days ago, following the departure of the questioned Trinidad Steinert. On migration, Kast reaffirmed his intent to improve the enforcement of expulsion orders, though he acknowledged that not all irregular migrants would leave the country under the current system: “Everyone knows we will go after one by one those who came in through the window, because in Chile you come in through the door,” he said.

Monday's Senate vote on the megareform constitutes the principal immediate parliamentary contest. The initiative, presented by the executive as a key piece for reactivating economic growth, includes corporate tax cuts and reforms to the tax regime. Kast argued that during his first months at La Moneda the country has recorded a “historic record of investment requests” of around USD 22 billion. The far-right government, which emerged after four years of leftist Gabriel Boric's administration, has registered a sustained decline in approval, currently at around 40% against a disapproval close to 60%, marked by fuel price hikes, budget cuts, and the slow execution of security promises.