Senator Luciano Cruz-Coke, president of Evópoli, has issued a series of warnings and criticisms regarding the management of José Antonio Kast's government, focusing on the protection of social benefits and the communication performance of his cabinet.
Speaking on the podcast “Cómo te lo explomico,” the lawmaker dismissed the significance of recent Budget Office (Dipres) documents suggesting fiscal adjustments, asserting that no decisions are final until a decree is signed.
However, Cruz-Coke was adamant regarding public spending policy: “As we are currently part of the government, called upon by President Kast, we will not accept cuts to social benefits, because that is precisely what the citizens voted for and placed their faith in when they believed the President's words,” he warned, according to CNN Chile.
Crisis in ministerial design and style
The leader of Evópoli identified issues within the command structure at La Moneda, arguing that the weight of the administration should not rest solely on presidential advisors, but rather on ministers with political experience.
Cruz-Coke suggested that the 'Second Floor'—the presidential advisory team led by Alejandro Irarrázaval—must undergo a "political vetting," and called for a more prominent role for the Ministers of the Interior and Government, specifically mentioning Claudio Alvarado and José García.
In the same vein, the senator criticized a lack of presence from the cabinet, noting an "excessive timidity" among certain Secretaries of State who are not part of the political committee.
The lawmaker also lashed out at the communication style of Housing Minister Iván Poduje, following recent friction with Senator Alfonso De Urresti (PS) over the wetlands law.
“In my view, Iván Poduje fights too much. He recently had to apologize to Senator De Urresti and I don't know to whom else; you cannot live constantly apologizing when there are certain ways of conducting ourselves that allow us to govern and interact with everyone,” the legislator stated, as reported by La Tercera.
Cruz-Coke was even more emphatic regarding how officials interact in the public sphere: “You cannot behave as if you were on a celebrity gossip show, and that is what has happened. We must remember we are in a government, because the public demands and seeks seriousness and pragmatism.”
Finally, regarding the legislative agenda, the senator dismissed the idea that the Government must rely solely on the People's Party (PDG) to pass reforms, expressing his willingness to build bridges with center-left sectors, such as the Socialist Party, to ensure agreements carry greater political legitimacy.
