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Hours before his first State of the Nation address, President José Antonio Kast has solidified an agenda defined by security and the restructuring of state institutions. In a series of televised interviews on Sunday, the president confirmed that he personally ordered the transfer of three common inmates who had been held at the Punta Peuco facility, reversing former President Gabriel Boric's decision to convert the prison into a general-population facility. "We are going to bring order to Chile's prisons," Kast told Meganoticias, emphasizing that every facility must serve the purpose for which it was originally created.
The move has sparked intense political controversy. Former Justice Minister Jaime Gajardo, from the previous administration, labeled the decision a "serious setback for human rights" and warned that the executive branch is sending a dangerous signal regarding impunity. For his part, the president defended his security strategy, arguing that his administration is defined by the application of "will and character," while downplaying theoretical debate in favor of "concrete actions" at the borders and in police operations.
Regarding the economy, the head of state described the current situation at Codelco as "truly dramatic." During an interview with CNN Chile, Kast questioned the lack of "clear information" within the state-owned company and noted that Máximo Pacheco's resignation as board chairman is a symptom of an internal crisis. While the president stopped short of confirming privatization, he urged a debate on private sector participation to ensure investment and revenue, linking the nation's success to the stability of the mining giant.
As for his legislative agenda, Kast reiterated that his major economic reform will be a priority in the Senate. Although he expressed a willingness to seek consensus, he warned that "one vote is enough" to pass the initiative, ruling out any possibility of reversing the corporate tax cut. Furthermore, he reaffirmed his commitment to deporting more than 300,000 immigrants and announced that he will introduce a bill this Monday to create a national registry of vandals, whose members would lose access to social benefits.
Meanwhile, the opposition is undergoing a reconfiguration following the internal elections of the Party for Democracy (PPD). Deputy Raúl Soto was proclaimed president of the party after leading the "Together for the Future" single ticket, alongside Sebastián Vergara and Katherine Araya. Soto, who served as the youngest president of the Chamber of Deputies in 2022, promised a "serious and constructive opposition" aimed at modernizing the party and regaining the influence of progressivism in the face of emerging new political forces.
The new PPD leader, a law graduate from the University of Chile, seeks to reconnect with younger generations and update his sector's programmatic foundations. The party, which currently holds 9 seats in the Chamber and 4 in the Senate, faces the challenge of maintaining its relevance in a landscape marked by a complex relationship with the executive branch. In the meantime, the Kast administration is preparing for its first address before the National Congress in Valparaíso, where a summary of his challenging transition and a definition of the tasks remaining for the rest of his term are expected.
