|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: Contraloría investiga pagos de la OPE y Kast intenta blindar su instalación

The Chilean Court of Auditors has launched an investigation regarding potential late payments associated with the Office of the President-Elect (OPE), while the administration of José Kast is attempting to secure its establishment.

This controversy began earlier in 2026 when Deputy Daniel Manouchehri (PS) raised concerns about the source of funds used by the then president-elect for international trips, office setups, and personnel hiring.

In light of the scrutiny from the regulatory agency, officials from La Moneda have responded to these allegations by denying the use of public funds to cover the operational expenses of the OPE—the private structure created by Kast following his electoral victory to manage the transition of his government.

According to the official argument, the questioned expenditures pertain to traditional tasks associated with the transition of power.

The investigation gained momentum following an inspection conducted on Thursday by a team from the Court of Auditors in the Administrative Directorate of the Presidency. The aim of this audit was to closely review the payments to staff and other expenses linked to the OPE during the timeframe from January to March of 2026.

In response to inquiries, the Presidency clarified its position through an official statement asserting that “there are no public expenditures associated with the Office of the President-Elect.”

Furthermore, regarding the payments to OPE members, they stated that these occurred “within the framework of the transition program, expenses typically incurred during all recent transitions.”

The communication strategy employed by Kast’s administration aims to dissociate any administrative or legal responsibilities, framing the expenditures as part of a standard institutional practice.

To bolster their defense, they noted that during the 2022 change of command, when former president Gabriel Boric took office, 19 officials were involved, including former ministers Izkia Siches (Health) and Antonia Orellana (Women and Gender Equity), who were active during January, February, and March of that year; whereas for the 2026 transition, the number of involved officials was 11.

In light of the ongoing controversy, they announced that the Administrative Directorate of the Presidency will cooperate with the Court of Auditors to provide the necessary information for the successful completion of this task, as reported by Interferencia.

Although the announcement aims to convey transparency and willingness to undergo scrutiny, the allegations persist, considering that eleven members of the OPE received payments from the Presidency of the Republic. This information is documented in the monthly activity reports for February and March of 2026, which were published in the Transparency Portal records.

Deputy Manouchehri: «Time Has Proven Us Right»

The origin of this controversy dates back to February, when Socialist Deputy Daniel Manouchehri (PS) raised concerns about how Kast was funding international trips and the establishment of the OPE, and together with then-deputy and current senator, Daniella Cicardini—also from PS—requested transparency regarding the involved resources.

“José Antonio Kast has not even taken office, and he is already conducting international tours, setting up offices, and hiring staff. Chile deserves to know how all this is financed,” Manouchehri asserted at that time.

“If he is funding it with his own resources, he should inform us. If there are contributions from third parties, it should be made clear under what legal conditions it occurs and to whom he will owe these favors,” emphasized the legislator.

After it was revealed that officials from the Court of Auditors had visited La Moneda on Thursday to commence an evaluation, the legislator stated: “Time has proven us right”.

“When we scrutinized these expenses, they tried to discredit us instead of responding seriously. Today the Court of Auditors has arrived at La Moneda. Our actions were legally justified,” he noted in a message posted on his social media account X.

He pointed out that with this investigation by the regulatory agency, “the Government must now provide serious explanations to the country” regarding the expenses associated with the transition and the payments made to members of Kast’s team.

La entrada Chilean Court of Auditors Investigates Payments Linked to President-Elect Office as Kast’s Administration Seeks to Safeguard Setup se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.