President José Antonio Kast led a town hall meeting titled 'Presidente Presente' in Puerto Montt this Tuesday, addressing cabinet tensions, opposition criticism, and the oversight of public resources. The event, which drew between 600 and 800 residents according to reports from Cooperativa and CNN Chile, provided a platform for the President to respond to concerns regarding security, employment, and the management of educational funds.
During the session, Kast confirmed his support for Minister of Housing Iván Poduje following recent friction between the minister and the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency (Segpres), José García Ruminot. The tension arose after García Ruminot expressed discomfort regarding incidents involving Poduje in the Biobío region related to the work stoppage at the Tapusa construction company, as reported by La Tercera.
The Head of State stated that his goal is to ensure the different perspectives within his cabinet complement one another. “All ministers have the support of the President of the Republic,” Kast affirmed, attempting to mitigate the perception of internal conflict. Addressing the differing approaches between his ministers, the President explained: “Minister Poduje sees the reality of what we are discussing here. Minister García Ruminot sees the reality of Congress. It isn't a matter of opposition. [...] What I have proposed to the Cabinet is that we must harmonize these different viewpoints to rebuild Chile.”
Oversight of education and security resources
In another part of his speech, the President raised the need to audit funds allocated to schools and universities to ensure they translate into tangible results. Citing an incident in Valdivance, Kast questioned the lack of productive impact from certain research projects funded by state resources.
“Sometimes 100 million, 500 million [pesos] goes toward research that ends up as a beautiful, hardbound book in a library. How many jobs did it create? None. Except for the people who dedicated a lot of time to the study,” the President remarked, according to CNN Chile. He proposed implementing a follow-up process for allocated resources to ensure that scientific investment leads to productive growth for the country.
Regarding economic management, Kast refuted opposition criticism of current reforms, linking issues with employment and growth to the administration of Gabriel Boric. He also dismissed allegations of cuts to school meals, labeling rumors regarding reduced funding for Junaeb as "total fake news."
On the matter of security, the President was emphatic that structural changes will not be immediate. Responding to a question from a citizen, he dismissed the idea that crime rates would change overnight following his inauguration on March 12. However, he did indicate that, in the medium term, the government will seek a way to manage the departure of undocumented individuals from Chile, and he reiterated his commitment to preventing figures such as Nicolás Maduro from entering the country.
