Chilean President Gabriel Boric standing in front of his new cabinet. Photo: Twitter/@GabrielBoric.
On Friday, March 10, the eve of the start of his second year as the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric shuffled his cabinet, naming new ministers for five of the 24 ministries in his government.
This is the second time that Boric has shuffled his cabinet during his presidency, following the changes made in September 2022 when 62% of the electorate had rejected a new constitution that had the president’s support.
“The purpose of these changes is to improve our capacity to respond to citizens’ demands and advance the administration to face the urgent needs of our country and our citizens,” the president explained after announcing the ministerial changes.
According to him, people with “knowledge of the state, new energy, and the necessary experience are needed in the government to be able to respond without delay or excuses to the urgent demands of the citizens.”
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“I am deeply grateful to the outgoing ministers for their work and commitment to making Chile a fairer country,” Boric wrote on Twitter. “This new team will continue on that path, working in the field and listening to those who think differently, to advance toward concrete changes and solutions.”
Agradezco profundamente a las ministras y ministros que dejan sus cargos, por su trabajo y compromiso de hacer de Chile un país más justo. Este nuevo equipo continuará esa senda, en terreno, escuchando a quien piensa distinto, para avanzar en cambios y soluciones concretas. pic.twitter.com/fUSSStUSWN
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) March 10, 2023
The new cabinet
The most significant change was the removal of Antonia Urrejola, the minister of foreign affairs. She was replaced by Alberto van Klaveren, an experienced diplomat who served as undersecretary in the same ministry during the presidency of Michelle Bachelet. He has also served as the ambassador of Chile to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and representative of Chile in the International Court of Justice.
Likewise, the ministers of the Public Works, Culture, Science, and Sports portfolios were changed.
Jessica López, who had served as president of Banco Estado, the only public bank in Chile, and as the head of the National Association of Sanitary Services Companies, was appointed as the new minister of Public Works, replacing Juan Carlos García.
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Jaime de Aguirre, a well-known communications expert and audiovisual creator and former director of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), Chilevisión, and Canal 13, was appointed minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, replacing Julieta Brodsky.
In the Ministry of Sports, Alejandra Benado was replaced by Jaime Pizarro, an ex-soccer player who holds multiple national championship titles with Chilean soccer team Colo Colo and previously served as undersecretary in the same ministry and as director of the National Sports Institute. The ministry is in charge of organizing the Pan American and Para-Pan American Games, scheduled for October and November of this year.
Aisén Etchevarry, who was director of the National Research and Development Agency of Chile, head of the Interministerial Coordination Division of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, and director of the National Council of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation for Development, will be in charge of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, replacing Silvia Díaz.
With these changes, the cabinet is currently made up of 12 ministers from Socialismo Democrático Party, 11 from the Apruebo Dignidad coalition, and one independent. Moreover, 15 new deputy ministers were appointed, seven of whom are from the center-left, five are independent, and three are from Apruebo Dignidad.
This reshuffling of the cabinet came two days after an unexpected defeat for the government’s plans. On Wednesday, March 8, the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the parliament) rejected a tax reform which sought to compile 3.6% of the national GDP in four years through the collection of taxes, with which the government expected to finance half of its program.
(RedRadioVE) by Dubraska Esteves, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/KZ
