Congresswoman Carolina Tello (Frente Amplio) has voiced her opposition to the National Reconstruction Plan presented this week by the government of José Antonio Kast. The lawmaker argued that the more than 40 measures included in the proposal should be processed independently.
According to reports from cooperativa.cl, Tello expressed concern over the link between housing infrastructure and fiscal policy. "I find it very worrying that reconstruction efforts—things like providing homes for people—are being conditioned on what I see as a tax reform," she stated.
The member of the Chamber of Deputies urged that the project be split up to avoid what she described as legislative deception. "The project needs to be separated into parts so we aren't being sold a bill of goods; ultimately, certain potential funding for various initiatives is being tied to outcomes that may or may not happen," she said.
According to the lawmaker, the current structure of the proposal creates a lack of clarity regarding future projects. "What I see is that this only creates uncertainty; it doesn't provide anything concrete that allows us to say, 'Okay, with this, we can move forward,' or anything of the sort," she argued.
Lack of technical review and alleged personal gains
The congresswoman also denounced irregularities in the technical processing of the package of measures. She accused the project of bypassing the Chamber's Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission, omitting a necessary review of articles related to the country's aquaculture industry.
Furthermore, Tello presented figures linking the implementation of this megaproject to an increase in the personal wealth of public officials. Citing a study by the Nodo XXI Foundation, the lawmaker claimed that the implementation of these proposals would benefit approximately 63 officials in the Kast administration, including cabinet ministers.
"We are talking about approximately 292 billion [pesos] that could potentially benefit various ministers of State, based on the assets they have declared in their respective interest and asset disclosures," the legislator detailed.
Finally, the congresswoman asserted that the Frente Amplio will not support a reform that favors the wealthiest segment of the population. She maintained that the debate must be conducted using the appropriate legal tools and respecting institutional timelines.
