Boric admits error in first cabinet's design, takes responsibility

Former Chilean President Gabriel Boric has admitted to missteps in assembling his inaugural cabinet, suggesting a more balanced team with broader state experience would be preferable if he were to form another government.

“

If I had to design the first cabinet again, I would do it in a more balanced way, but not balanced in the sense of quotas, but in the sense of experience in managing the state and in incorporating visions that would have allowed us to embrace or apprehend the change of cycle that was underway.

Boric made these remarks during the presentation of sociologist Eugenio Tironi's book, "La resaca. La presidencia de Boric y el reto de Kast," in Santiago. He explained that his desire for a more balanced cabinet was not about party representation but about incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise in statecraft.

“

I insist, this is not about having had one more PPD, one more PR, one more Frente Amplio, or fewer, no. I am saying that the design with which the first cabinet was formed should have been conceived from a different perspective.

"I insist, this is not about having had one more PPD, one more PR, one more Frente Amplio, or fewer, no. I am saying that the design with which the first cabinet was formed should have been conceived from a different perspective," Boric stated. He took personal responsibility for this decision, concluding, "The responsibility is mine in that."

“

The responsibility is mine in that.

He also addressed the appointment of Carolina Tohá in September 2022, refuting the idea that her inclusion single-handedly reorganized his administration. While acknowledging Tohá's experience, Boric emphasized that his government began implementing policies from day one, citing measures like Copago Cero, the Buen Vivir Plan, and the tax reform. He pushed back against the notion that the failure of the constitutional referendum and the tax reform's defeat in Congress marked the end of his agenda, attributing the need for negotiation to his administration's minority status in parliament.

“

We began to govern from day one.