Providencia's mayor, Jaime Bellolio, advocated for an emergency coalition to tackle the country's challenges, amid calls for political unity following José Antonio Kast's electoral victory. During a Christmas event at Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, he sidestepped debates on terminology and stressed integrating various opposition sectors. He also supported transparency in public management amid probes in Peñalolén and the Contraloría's oversight role.
Jaime Bellolio, mayor of Providencia, commented during a Christmas event at Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna on the political landscape opened by José Antonio Kast's victory. He stressed the need to form an “emergency coalition” to address the nation's key challenges through a framework of unity, downplaying debates on whether it should be called a coalition, alliance, or conglomerate.
“Until now, what we've seen are very appropriate signals in terms of there needing to be an emergency government, a coalition that can respond to that emergency, but above all in unity,” Bellolio stated. He highlighted the president-elect's call to include Chile Vamos, independents, and other sectors that opposed the current administration. “It seems very good to me that it's in terms of unity to respond to the emergencies that citizens present us with today,” he added, avoiding speculation on names or positions, which Kast will decide in the first half of January.
Meanwhile, Bellolio addressed the prosecutor's investigation into a potential financial deficit at Peñalolén Municipality, emphasizing the importance of full transparency in public resource management. “For those of us in charge of municipalities and who handle budgets as authorities, it is essential to have complete and total transparency, not only in how resources are administered but also in how they are left to other administrations,” he said.
Regarding reports from the Comptroller General of the Republic on financial irregularities in public entities, he endorsed its auditing role. “Public money is not the money of whoever is mayor, president, or minister; it belongs to the people,” he declared, noting that the agency's oversight builds public trust in officials.