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Chile:  Boric’s Progressive Passivity to Kast’s Neoliberal Proactivity

By Andres Kogan Valderrama

HAVANA TIMES – Only a few weeks have passed since Jose Antonio Kast assumed the presidency on March 11, 2026, and a sharp contrast is already clearly visible compared to the first months of Gabriel Boric’s government in 2022, which were marked by a passivity that ultimately buried the possibility of transforming the country.

I mention this because, while the official narrative of Kast’s government is built around an “emergency government” aimed at pushing forward a neoliberal and security-focused agenda, the beginning of Boric’s term was instead defined by strategic passivity and the absence of a clear narrative. Many of us interpreted that stance as excessive caution, conditioned by the outcome of the constitutional process.

Thus, although Gabriel Boric came to power with a program promising significant changes across various areas, during his first six months the legislative agenda focused on relevant but limited initiatives. The more ambitious structural reforms—such as a deep tax reform or social security reform—were only introduced or pushed more forcefully close to the September 2022 plebiscite.

This delay was not accidental. Boric’s government........

© Havana Times