In the escalating tensions of Chile's presidential transition, Ministers Camila Vallejo and Álvaro Elizalde on January 11 criticized a hardening opposition tone led by president-elect José Antonio Kast, following his recent fiscal attacks. They defended Boric's economic and security gains amid stalled legislative talks, as a new poll showed the president's approval at 33% ahead of the March handover.
Building on Kast's January 8 criticisms at an Icare forum—where he warned of a dire fiscal handover and rushed projects like universal childcare (Sala Cuna), the National Care System, ending CAE loans via the Higher Education Fund (FES), and the public sector 'tie-down law'—ministers from Gabriel Boric's government escalated their pushback.
In a TVN Estado Nacional interview on January 11, Government Spokesperson Camila Vallejo highlighted a freeze in opposition talks for key initiatives, attributing it to Kast and his team's recent interventions: "It seems the president-elect kind of called to pull the chain... something happened," she said, noting blocked responses to outreach.
Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde, on Canal 13's Mesa Central the same day, reinforced earlier defenses by Ministers like Álvaro García, asserting Chile is economically stronger than in 2022. He cited stabilization, inflation control, fiscal containment under Finance Minister Mario Marcel, avoided stagflation, and security improvements including fewer irregular border entries and reduced southern rural violence. Elizalde urged constructive dialogue.
A Criteria poll (Jan 6-8) underscored challenges: Boric's approval fell to 33% (59% disapproval), government's at 31%, while 58% approved Kast's election—higher than Boric's 2022 post-win satisfaction. With two months until March 11, these exchanges signal a rocky transition close.
