In its first days, José Antonio Kast's new government withdrew 43 previous environmental decrees, including protections for Darwin's frog and Humboldt penguin, drawing criticism. Following scientific community backlash, the frog decree was quickly resubmitted to the Comptroller. Presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei urged balancing growth and natural heritage.
José Antonio Kast's government, in its first week, pursued a rapid pace of measures under an 'emergency government' banner, targeting security, growth, and migration, but also touching 'cultural battle' issues as noted in La Tercera opinion pieces. Notably, it withdrew 43 prior environmental decrees—a historic break from cross-government consensus on environmental policy. This included protections for the Humboldt penguin and Darwin's frog, an endangered species unique to Chile discovered by Charles Darwin. Paula Escobar wrote: 'Intentar pasarle la aplanadora a la ranita no es una medida de sensatez, de corrección, sino de mover el péndulo hacia el otro extremo' (La Tercera, 03/21/2026). Amid outcry from scientists and academics, the frog decree was swiftly resubmitted to the Comptroller's Office, which approved it, temporarily preserving protection. Evelyn Matthei stated: “Chile necesita crecer y atraer grandes inversiones con agilidad, pero este progreso no puede ser a costa de nuestro patrimonio natural. Espero que la revisión de estas normativas nos permita alcanzar un equilibrio real”. In another column, Daniel Matamala criticized the 'flooding' of measures to slip through controversial ones, questioning how removing protections for endangered species aids post-fire reconstruction in Penco, where Kast announced a plan with over 40 measures. The president visited Penco, hit by forest fires, to unveil physical, economic, and institutional reconstruction. These steps occur alongside announcements like pardons for ex-uniformed personnel from the social outbreak and stances on gender at the UN and OEA.
