DistantNews
Support us
Senator Kusanovic harshly criticizes government, calls it 'traitor' and 'disloyal'
🇨🇱 Chile /Elections & Politics

Senator Kusanovic harshly criticizes government, calls it 'traitor' and 'disloyal'

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Senator Alejandro Kusanovic announced he will vote against the government's "megareform" bill.
  • He cited a lack of trust due to the government negotiating with a leftist sector in his region behind his back.
  • Kusanovic also raised technical concerns about the reform, including benefits for large investors and environmental assessments.

Senator Alejandro Kusanovic has sharply criticized the government's proposed "megareform," declaring his intention to vote against the bill. The independent senator for the Magallanes region expressed deep disappointment with the executive's political handling of matters in his area, accusing the government of disloyalty and betrayal.

You cannot be with a government that is disloyal and betrays you to get a vote from your competitor.

— Alejandro KusanovicExplaining his decision to vote against the government's bill.

Kusanovic revealed that three months prior, the government negotiated with a leftist group in Magallanes, effectively handing over control of the region. He described this as a significant disrespect to the people of Magallanes and a betrayal of trust, as the negotiations occurred without his or the local deputy's knowledge. "You cannot be with a government that is disloyal and betrays you to get a vote from your competitor," Kusanovic stated, emphasizing that he had signaled his concerns but received no satisfactory response.

There are many things that need to be adjusted. For example, the issue of the refund of expenses in the case of Environmental Impact Studies that are rejected. That type of thing cannot be, because it will lend itself to haggling.

— Alejandro KusanovicRaising technical concerns about the reform's environmental assessment clauses.

Beyond the political dispute, Kusanovic highlighted specific technical flaws within the reform package. He questioned provisions that offer benefits to large investors and expressed concern over potential irregularities in environmental impact assessments, warning that such clauses could be exploited for negotiation. He also criticized the principle of tax invariability, arguing that it undermines equality by granting more guaranteed rights to those who invest more money.

Equality is the fundamental part of the Constitution. Either things are equal for everyone or there is nothing.

— Alejandro KusanovicCriticizing the reform's tax invariability provisions.

When asked about the possibility of changing his vote, Kusanovic was resolute. He demanded direct reparations and apologies from the government, insisting on an explanation for their actions and compensation for the Magallanes region. "They have to apologize to me, they have to explain to me why they did it, and see what compensation they give to Magallanes for this," he asserted.

They have to apologize to me, they have to explain to me why they did it, and see what compensation they give to Magallanes for this.

— Alejandro KusanovicDemanding reparations from the government for the perceived betrayal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog