Runoff in Chile: Kast proposes drug test for candidates; Boric meets with evangelicals

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This morning, the representative of the right-wing Republicanos Party, José Antonio Kast, made known his programmatic proposals if he were the government, after several weeks of adjustments to his initial ideas.

Among them, it is worth mentioning a mandatory drug test for all candidates running in popular elections, zero tolerance to violence against women, and a plan for the withdrawal of coal-fired thermoelectric plants.

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Meanwhile, the candidate of the left-wing coalition Apruebo Dignidad, Gabriel Boric, met with evangelical and Protestant leaders to discuss the role of the churches in his government program, which will be presented in the next few days.

Kast’s work was complex because, in the beginning, he included controversial proposals, such as ending the Ministry of Women, which was eventually restoried. The final proposal has these axes: women, environment, health and education, and drug trafficking.

In this last point, there is also a plan to disrupt drug supply gangs and create a community program to prevent drug addiction in the youth population.

As for violence against women, he will apply “zero tolerance” against those who commit violence against women. To this end, the implementation of the telematic monitoring law will be accelerated for the protection of victims who have preventive measures against their aggressors.

Regarding immigration, he indicates that it must be “legal and controlled” and maintained his controversial proposal to build ditches in border sectors “in necessary cases”.

In addition, he will seek the establishment of a new statute for the expulsion of illegal immigrants and the installation of transitory enclosures for people who irregularly enter the country until their departure is finalized.

Regarding his pension proposal, the savings of AFP affiliates will be “of each person and inheritable”. He also proposes a gradual increase in the contribution rate from 10% to 14% and CLP 1 million (US$2,000) to the pension accounts of all children born in Chile.

Among other measures, his program includes accelerating social housing construction plans to reduce the existing deficit, reaching 400,000 during his eventual administration; also the reduction of medical costs; the signing of the TPP-11 Trans-Pacific Economic Integration Agreement; encouraging the development of clean energy projects; making it mandatory for all children to attend nursery and kindergarten; guaranteeing “equitable access” to better quality health services and their strengthening in the public network and reforming the National Human Rights Institute (INDH). The program also presents an increase in measures for the protection of the environment, as well as to face the drought in the country.

The Frente Amplio presidential candidate, Gabriel Boric, met with evangelical and Protestant leaders to discuss the role of the churches in his government program, which will be presented in the coming days in preparation for the second round of the presidential election.

In the meeting with evangelical representatives, Gabriel Boric called on those attending the conference not to be afraid of the electoral alliance he maintains with the Communist Party (PC), who support him within Apruebo Dignidad. In this respect, he clarified that his conglomerate does not seek to “close schools” or “impose a vision of the world and faith” if it reaches the government.

In this respect, the leader in the polls emphasized that he is “a person with evident independence, I believe that I have demonstrated it in difficult moments,” recalling that the PC “is one part of our alliance,” as well as Revolución Democrática, Convergencia Social, Comunes and the Federación Regionalista Verde Social.