Tax & Spend

Kast’s Campaign to Balance Chile Budget Gets Off to Tough Start

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast — Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast
Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg

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By Carolina Gonzalez

April 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

Lea en español

Chile’s President José Antonio Kast went on TV this week and warned the nation it couldn’t keep racking up debts like it was — then outlined a series of tax cuts and subsidies that may widen the deficit in the near term.