The president of Chile, the leftist Gabriel Boric, affirmed this Saturday, the day he celebrates one year in power, that he will insist on the tax reform rejected in Congress this week, key to financing the social plans that he plans to approve.
The commemoration of his first year in government started early with a meeting with the cabinet, partially renewed the day before, and the greeting that he and a large part of his ministers offered to hundreds of protesters who were stationed outside the presidential palace.
Boric greeted the people one by one. He took pictures, received gifts and messages, in a tour that lasted for about an hour.
In another access to the government palace, a smaller group of demonstrators called by an ultra-right group protested against Boric’s management.
When intervening before the ministers and undersecretaries, the president affirmed that he will insist on the tax reform that was rejected on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies and that is considered the pillar of his social reform program.
“We are going to insist on the tax reform with a strategy that we are discussing with Minister (of Finance Mario) Marcel,” said the president.
The reform, which included new taxes on the greatest fortunes and on mining, sought to collect an additional 3.6 percentage points of GDP to finance, among other changes, the 25% increase in the universal basic pension.
“The year 2022 was not easy (…) but despite this I see green shoots. We have all the conditions to move forward and lay the foundations of a welfare state and guarantee social rights,” added the president.
Boric became the youngest president in the history of Chile on March 11, 2022, when he was 36 years old.
A former student leader and representative of the Broad Front, he won the presidency from ultra-conservative leader José Antonio Kast in the second round.