Kast backs lawmakers' right to file accusation against ex-minister of Boric

Chilean President Gabriel Boric's former Finance Minister, Nicolás Grau, is facing a constitutional accusation from opposition lawmakers who allege fiscal calculation inconsistencies. The move, spearheaded by the Republican Party, to which President José Antonio Kast belongs, and supported by other right-wing parties, accuses Grau of presenting a "disguised" and "inconsistent" financial report.

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The Parliament has within its powers in the Chamber of Deputies the possibility of posing interpellations, accusations, and it is legitimate that it does so.

President Kast publicly backed the parliamentarians' right to pursue the accusation, stating that it is legitimate for them to utilize their constitutional powers within the Chamber of Deputies to interpelate and accuse ministers. He emphasized that congress members must present their evidence regarding what could be considered poor administration or a breach of fiscal accounting rules. Kast added that the matter should be discussed, analyzed, and voted upon, with the Senate having the final say.

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The ex-minister Nicolás Grau failed in probity and transparency by presenting a financial report, disguised, inconsistent, and, furthermore, with the warning from the autonomous fiscal council, the IMF and Dipres itself.

The accusation, signed by the Republican Party and the Libertarian National Party, with limited support from other parties, centers on Grau's alleged underestimation of the projected fiscal deficit for 2026. The document outlines four accusations related to political responsibilities, including violations of probity, coordination in state financial management, budgetary universality, and the alignment of medium-term financial programs with annual budgets.

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I think it is good that it is discussed, that it is analyzed and that it is voted on, and then the Senate will have the last word.

However, the accusation has drawn criticism from some within the center-right, who are allied with Kast but did not endorse the initiative. This opposition stems from a report by the current administration's Ministry of Finance, which indicated a deficit exceeding $10.5 billion. Meanwhile, lawmakers from the Broad Front, Grau's political coalition, have questioned the accusation's basis, with deputy Jorge Brito suggesting it is a "political whim" that harms Chile.

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For a political whim, they continue to harm Chile and that is why, if the accusation prospers in the Chamber, we hope it will be stopped in the Senate.