President José Antonio Kast's constitutional security reform was shelved for lack of support, even among his allies, according to El Mostrador. The outlet titled its analysis “Arrau's defeat bears Kast's signature.” However, the available excerpt does not detail who Arrau is or what that defeat involved.
A tough approach was Kast's main campaign promise. According to the outlet, the president defended his proposal as "non-negotiable". In the end, that proposal gave way to an alternative promoted by Congress.
According to El Mostrador, La Moneda is now seeking to prioritize 24 security bills and add another six. This leaves behind the flagship initiative of the presidential campaign, and according to the outlet, it is doing so "as discreetly as possible". Other sources have not confirmed the account.
The setback coincides with a weather emergency. A mudslide swept away vehicles and left more than 2,000 homes affected, according to the same outlet. In another published article, Periodismo2 places the mudslide in Las Condes.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado explained why no alert was sent through the Emergency Alert System (SAE), which sends alerts to mobile phones. According to Alvarado, the event occurred "from one minute to the next" and it was unclear where people should evacuate to. He added that the alert could have caused more confusion.
El Mostrador recalled that there had been prior warnings. In February, a technical report by the National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) warned of the danger of mass movements in Santiago's Andean foothill areas. In July, floods hit Atacama and Coquimbo.
For the outlet, the conclusion is political. If every storm requires improvised explanations, the problem is also one of management.
The government faces challenges on other fronts. Chile Vamos lawmakers are criticizing Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz's 2027 Budget. They oppose cuts to the Cholito Law, the Bicentennial High Schools and the Yo Elijo Mi PC program. They also question the 207.2% increase in funding for Crédito Mipyme despite its poor evaluation.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) is maintaining a yellow alert in the Metropolitan Region for thunderstorms until Tuesday.
