Public support for José Antonio Kast's administration has taken another hit, falling to 29.1% according to the latest Pulso Ciudadano survey conducted by Activa Research. The poll, which surveyed 1,009 people between April 29 and 30, confirms a downward trend, dropping 4.2 percentage points from the early April measurement of 33.3%. Meanwhile, disapproval rose from 53.3% to 55.6%, while 45.9% of respondents believe Chile is moving in the wrong direction.
Institutional distrust is another key takeaway from the report: only 23.6% of those surveyed expressed having "high trust" or "trust" in the president. This figure represents a drop of more than 12 points since December 2025, when Kast was still president-elect and enjoyed a 36% high-trust rating.
In the realm of public security, Minister Trinidad Steinert is facing a police staffing crisis, admitting to a deficit of at least 12,000 officers. Facing mounting public pressure, the Secretary of State defended the implementation of new technologies—including tactical scanners, drones, and body cameras—and requested a window of "at least from now until the end of the year" to see concrete results in reclaiming streets and securing borders.
Steinert offered a self-critique of her first two months in office, noting that "there is an issue of lack of experience, and it is an error I must take responsibility for." The minister also acknowledged communication hurdles, stating, "I have lacked the ability to communicate" her administration's actions effectively amidst the public's anxiety for security-related results.
The Executive branch has also faced an intense week of scrutiny following the leak of an official memo instructing ministries to review social programs. Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz admitted on TVN's "Estado Nacional" program that there was a "failure" in how the document was explained, though he reaffirmed that "social programs are not up for debate" and that the goal is to seek greater efficiency in public spending.
This budgetary controversy is intertwined with minimum wage negotiations, where the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) has ramped up pressure on the government. Eric Campos, the general secretary of the labor federation, questioned the role of Minister Quiroz, identifying him as the figure driving the core of economic decisions, and demanded an 18.3% increase compared to the 4% offered by the Executive. Campos warned that the government must recognize that Kast's victory relied on support from the working class—a factor that, in his view, is not reflected in the current wage proposal.
Finally, Minister Quiroz addressed the global economic situation, describing it as "the most serious crisis in the last 50 years." The Finance Minister defended the Mepco adjustment, asserting that it has resulted in "savings" of $995 million in just five weeks, and cast doubt on reports that fuel prices will rise by another 35 pesos in the first week of May, urging experts to avoid "alarmism" in their projections.
