The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, greets the supporters who gathered in front of the Palacio de La Moneda this Saturday. ELVIS GONZÁLEZ (EFE)
Chilean President Gabriel Boric celebrated his first year at La Moneda this Saturday with a clear message to his newly reformed cabinet: improve management. The president has recognized that one of the main reasons for changing five of his ministers the previous day – for “seasoned people who know the state” – was the need to implement public policies that improve citizens’ lives. The administration will celebrate its first anniversary on March 11, recovering from defeat suffered this week in Congress, which rejected tax reform in its first legislative session, essential to funding much of its campaign promises. They are expected to determine next week whether to take the initiative to the opposition-controlled Senate, wait another year to debate it, or implement specific actions through precise legislation.
This Saturday, after chairing the first political committee of this new stage, Boric, accompanied by his 24 ministers, left La Moneda to greet hundreds of supporters who gathered in the Plaza de la Constitución with flags, balloons and stuffed animals. In a nearly 50-minute tour, authorities received a mental shot after this government’s biggest legislative failure. The president himself took stock, acknowledging that 2022 “wasn’t easy.” “There have been mistakes of our own, very difficult external conditions, a fragmented parliament, a creaky political system and surges of power that make it difficult to find the agreements we need… But we must insist even more strongly,” he said.
While the president and ministers received hugs and took selfies with their supporters, on the other side of La Moneda, Carabineros estimated around 200 government opponents called for Boric’s resignation while waving Chilean flags. The President later warned his team: “Be careful, we don’t just work for those who support us. We work for everyone. For those who were today in the Plaza de la Constitución, but also for those who were in the Plaza de la Ciudadanía” where the opponents gathered.
Face-to-face meetings with supporters allowed ministers to discuss in detail the decisions for the second year. Finance Minister Mario Marcel reiterated the idea of focusing efforts on management. “The message should be a government of deeds, not announcements,” he said. The cries of those gathered against the “junk press” made it difficult to hear the person in charge of the Treasury Department’s wallet. Regarding the failure of the tax reform, Marcel reminded that the mining tax law is ready to be discussed in the Senate and that the regional income and environmental tax laws should be prepared by the end of the month.
The Minister for Relations with the Parliament of the General Secretariat of the Council Presidency, Ana Lya Uriarte, assured that she is evaluating the steps to be followed for the tax reform. “It is very important to make it clear that we as a government have a minority in both chambers,” which is why dialogue with the opposition is essential. With that in mind, the President claimed they are available for talks. “But we need more spirit and that people understand that in order to fund social resources, it is necessary to better allocate resources, and that’s where we are,” he stressed.
The very government supporters who came to La Moneda demanded tax reform and the reduction of the working day from 45 to 40 hours. This bill has managed to make steady progress and appears to have cross-sector support in the Senate, so it could soon be passed. At an afternoon meeting with ministers and secretaries of state – 15 of the 39 appointed on Friday – the president said he wanted to “demand” that public policies aim to enable citizens to see the changes in their daily lives. “Don’t think about the election, think about the next generation. To win elections, you have to do the trick well [el trabajo] and that people recognize us,” stressed the President.
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