Government Spokesperson Mara Sedini asserted this Monday that President José Antonio Kast personally funded an exclusive lunch with former university classmates held at La Moneda.
The statement follows a series of press inquiries regarding the event which, according to a report by BBCL Invest/Investiga, featured a menu consisting of tomato tartare, red wine, rustic mashed potatoes, and braised beef (plateada al jugo) last Friday, April 10.
Speaking at Congress, Sedini reiterated the official stance regarding concerns over the use of public funds. “As I mentioned a few hours ago, the response to the controversy surrounding the lunch will be provided through the appropriate institutional channels, in due form and time. However, I want to make one thing very clear: I can assure you that this lunch was funded by the President of the Republic using his own resources,” the Secretary of State stated.
The Minister did not elaborate on whether the costs for the servers and the officials who participated in the meal were also covered by the President. “The President funded the lunch with his own resources, and the remaining details will be disclosed through the proper institutional channels to the Comptroller General of the Republic, in the established time and manner,” Sedini insisted in response to repeated questions.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Jorge Alessandri (UDI), backed the presidential activity. Alessandri argued that the practice aligns with the tradition of Chilean heads of state. “The President of the Republic lives in La Moneda. In fact, during my trip to Valparaíso, I was searching on Google; from what I could find, all presidents since Juan Antonio Ríos have invited their school or university classmates to La Moneda upon taking office. I believe this has been done within the rules,” the lawmaker declared.
The Deputy also noted that the Comptroller General must issue a formal ruling. “The Comptroller will have to receive a formal response, but I do not believe this is a significant issue, and I believe the President of the Republic is well aware of the law. (...) We do not know if it was via a quota or paid by the treasury, but I believe it is something minor, and clearly the Comptroller must tell us if it is within the regulations (...) we will have to see; I believe it is justified and has been the custom for a long time,” Alessandri added.
UDI leader Guillermo Ramírez proposed that the Executive branch establish guidelines to differentiate between personal and official activities. “I believe there must be a clear line regarding the President's activities—personal activities versus activities as the President of the Republic. We must not forget that the President lives in La Moneda. (...) The issue is how that is handled, and there must be something written, some regulation or instruction that makes everything perfectly clear and provides peace of mind to everyone, so that there is no misuse of public resources here,” Ramírez stated.
Tension in the Chamber over alleged fraud in parliamentary allowances
In a parallel development, Speaker Jorge Alessandri dismissed the possibility of the Chamber filing a criminal complaint against Senator and former Deputy Camila Flores, following a request from opposition lawmakers.
A group of legislators, including Luis Cuello (PC), Bernardo Salinas (sPC), Gael Yeamos (FA), Juan Santana (PS), and Ana María Gazmuri (AH), sent a letter to the Chamber's leadership requesting legal action. The letter is based on an investigation by the Valparaíso Regional Prosecutor's Office into potential fraud against the treasury, which could amount to $300,000,000 through the misuse of parliamentary allowances.
Alessandri dismissed the institutional legal action. “A lawsuit from the Chamber is not appropriate,” the Deputy argued, claiming that oversight is limited once payments have been processed. “If the press version were true, what happens is that the money is handled after the Chamber makes the payment and after the lawmaker's employee withdraws the money from the bank. Therefore, it is difficult for the Chamber to monitor up to that point,” he explained.
Deputy Luis Cuello insisted that the Chamber must act to protect public funds. “The Chamber has a duty to speak out, to take action, and what it cannot do is nothing. (...) What is appropriate is for the Speaker of the Chamber, representing the Corporation, to file a criminal complaint regarding the facts, not regarding a specific person,” Cuello stated.
Chamber Secretary Luis Rojas clarified that the institution can only report facts known by virtue of their position. “Consequently, it is not appropriate to have a complaint or a lawsuit because we do not have the authority for that (...) We are willing to provide all the information that the Public Prosecutor's Office may eventually require,” Rojas concluded.
Alessandri concluded by warning about the need to review internal guidelines to prevent practices where part of salaries are returned. “I must remind you all that it is illegal, unethical, and improper to return part of a salary,” he emphasized.