Chile Leader Tours Europe Amid Minister Row

CHILE · POLITICS

Chile’s President Kast set off on a European tour as his justice minister faces an impeachment push. A small party, the PDG, may decide whether it succeeds.

Chile’s President José Antonio Kast, a conservative who took office in March, left for Europe on Sunday, 1 November. He was due in Madrid on Monday, 2 November, while opposition deputies prepare to impeach his justice minister.

The minister, Fernando Rabat, faces a planned impeachment over decrees that cut prison sentences for people convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Rabat denies wrongdoing, and Kast has kept him in office.

Where Kast Is Going

After Madrid, Kast is due in Rome on Tuesday, 3 November. Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, is due to receive him at the Vatican on Wednesday, 4 November.

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is also expected to meet him during the Italian stop. The exact day of that meeting has not been confirmed.

Kast also attends the Ibero-American Summit, a meeting of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking leaders, in Madrid on 4 and 5 November. He is due back in Chile on Friday, 6 November.

What Rabat and the Government Say

Rabat said on 29 October that he heard no argument in the Chamber of Deputies that justified an impeachment. He says he acted within the Constitution and the law, and that his conscience is clear.

Asked whether he would resign, Rabat thanked Kast for his confidence. He calls the push a political move and has not said he will quit.

Gonzalo Arenas, a senior official for government communications, said on radio on 30 October that the mood was difficult. He said not all governing legislators were aligned yet.

Hotuiti Teao, an independent deputy close to the governing UDI party, said on 27 October he would vote for the impeachment. The UDI is a conservative party in Kast’s coalition.

Why the PDG Holds the Key

An impeachment of a minister needs a majority of the deputies present in the 155-seat Chamber. The Senate then needs 26 of its 50 members to remove him.

The PDG, or Party of the People, is a populist party with about 14 deputies. Franco Parisi, its secretary general, founded it, and both sides are courting its votes.

Juan Marcelo Valenzuela, the PDG caucus leader, said on 29 October that views inside the bench are divided. He called the sentence cuts a political error but said Rabat’s future is for Kast to decide.

Parisi demanded on 27 October that Kast remove Rabat. Pamela Jiles, a PDG deputy, has instead offered to help save him.

What It Means for You

For US investors, the row matters less for copper output than for the reform agenda. A president who loses a minister may find it harder to pass mining, tax and security bills.

No change to entry rules or travel advice has been announced. The dispute is a domestic fight over sentencing decrees.

Rio Times readers can find the mechanics in Chile Opposition Seeks to Impeach Minister. The exit of Luis Silva, the deputy justice minister, is covered in Chile Replaces Deputy Justice Minister Silva.

More is on the Kast approval report and the Chile hub. The Santiago city page covers the capital.

What Is Not Known

As of the latest reports found, the impeachment has not been filed. The opposition says it expects to file in the first week of November.

The Chamber’s website could not be opened, so signature counts are unverified. Seat counts for the opposition differ between sources, so none is given here.

How the PDG will vote, and whether Rabat will resign first, is unknown. Rabat’s own statements on Monday, 2 November, could not be confirmed.

The Presidency’s website could not be opened, so the tour dates rest on several consistent local reports. Who acts as head of government while Kast is away is not stated.

Whether the decrees broke the law is the opposition’s claim, and no court ruling was found. Rabat says he followed the law and is presumed innocent of any wrongdoing.

What Comes Next

The next step is the filing in the Chamber of Deputies, then a committee and a floor vote. An impeachment is a political process, not a criminal trial.

Filing does not remove Rabat, and Kast can still keep him in office. Only a Senate vote of 26 of 50 members would do that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Chile’s justice minister facing impeachment?

Opposition lawmakers say Fernando Rabat’s ministry approved decrees that cut sentences for people convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Rabat says he followed the law.

Is Kast really in Europe during the crisis?

Yes, Kast left Chile on 1 November for Spain, Italy and the Vatican. He attends the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on 4 and 5 November and is due home on 6 November.

What is the PDG and why does it matter?

The PDG, or Party of the People, is a populist party with about 14 deputies. Its votes could decide whether the impeachment passes the Chamber.

Could Rabat be removed?

Only if a majority of deputies present and then 26 of 50 senators vote for it. Kast could also ask him to resign.

Sources: Constitution of Chile, articles 52 and 53, Library of the National Congress; Holy See, Vatican City (papal audience calendar); Chamber of Deputies of Chile and Presidency of Chile (websites could not be opened); statements by Rabat, Arenas, Teao, Valenzuela and Parisi, 27 to 30 October 2026 (all accessed 2 November 2026).