Chileans Protest Kast's Environmental Rollbacks

Protests Across Chile on World Water Day

Thousands of people marched on Sunday in Santiago and other cities in Chile to mark World Water Day following the withdrawal of dozens of environmental decrees by arch-conservative President José Antonio Kast. The decrees rolled back by Kast’s administration had been signed during the government of left-wing former Chilean leader Gabriel Boric, whom Kast replaced as president earlier this month. The demonstration, called by several environmental organizations under the slogan “Don’t ‘Kast-igate’ Nature,” drew thousands more participants in 15 cities across the country. Cristóbal Rodríguez, national spokesperson for the Movement for the Defense and Access to Water, Land, and the Environment—one of the organizers—said that in Chile there are still 1.4 million people without access to drinking water. The new president “represents a setback that reflects his Pinochet-era roots and is commodifying nature to levels never seen before,” Rodríguez said.

Environmental Rollbacks Under Kast Administration

The new Chilean president ordered the halt of 43 environmental protection regulations one day after taking office. These measures protected species such as Darwin’s frog and the Humboldt penguin, created national parks, and outlined decontamination plans, such as for Lake Villarrica, among other things. They also regulated emissions from thermoelectric plants. Judd claimed the U.S. exhausted all diplomatic avenues before resorting to sanctions and said that despite specific warnings regarding the submarine cable, Chilean authorities failed to provide the necessary transparency.

Rising Tensions Between Chile and the United States

Washington’s decision has sparked outrage within Chile’s left-wing government. President Gabriel Boric condemned the move, accusing the Trump administration of issuing “indeterminate accusations” and “applying unilateral sanctions” that infringe upon Chilean sovereignty. Boric, who will hand over power to far-right politician José Antonio Kast in two weeks, has been one of the most vocal critics of U.S. President Donald Trump in the region. Asked about the strong reactions within the Chilean government, the U.S. ambassador said there are “no threats” from the United States. “We are not making any threats. What we have strictly told you all the time is that everything we do depends upon communication and security,” he added. Judd argued, without naming specific countries, that “there are many malicious actors in this region that want to cause harm, not just to this region and to Chile, but to the United States as well.” Relations between Chile and the United States have deteriorated significantly under the second Trump administration. Boric has leveled sharp criticism against his U.S. counterpart, characterizing the Republican’s leadership style as that of a “new emperor." Trump, for his part, has openly expressed dissatisfaction with Boric and has welcomed the upcoming presidency of far-right politician Kast, following his landslide victory in Chile’s national election in December. “We look forward to working with the new government to provide what the Chilean people demanded,” Judd said.