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Original article: Gobierno redactó guion para vender el bencinazo: filtran manual con “trampas”, respuestas y relato oficial

Deputy Jaime Araya leaked an internal government manual regarding the rise in fuel prices via X, revealing the communication strategy the Executive is using to sell the fuel price hike. The document, titled «Minutes on Fuel Price Increases» and marked as «confidential and for internal use only,» not only explains the increase but also provides a script for officials, including prepared responses, warnings, and guidelines for managing the official narrative.

More than a technical report, the text acts as a political and communicational roadmap. The minutes frame their discourse around two core ideas: an international crisis that serves as an explanation for the price increase and a supposed inherited fiscal tightness, an argument the government uses to justify its limited capacity to address the impact on families.

pasen a leer la minuta de las mentiras que quiere instalar el gobierno
se puede ser más frívolo ??
pensando en instalar un relato, mientras ponen una bomba en el presupuesto de las familias de clase media, solo les interesan los réditos políticos, se les cayó la máscara… pic.twitter.com/LlwiuaOCkM

— Jaime Araya Diputado (@Dip_JaimeAraya) March 24, 2026

A Narrative Based on War and Inheritance

The document opens with a clear line: «There is a war«. From there, it builds an explanatory framework that directly links the increase in fuel prices to the international conflict and the rise in oil prices.

«That was not decided by any Chilean government. It was decided by a war,» states the minutes. This is paired with a second axis: the situation of public finances.

«And alongside that war, we find public finances worse than we could have imagined,» indicates the text, which also claims, «In four years, we borrowed over 40 billion dollars, and the State’s coffers were left completely empty.»

However, this framing is not neutral. Various sectors have questioned the government’s use of war as the central explanation for the increase, pointing out that it is a political interpretation of the international scenario— in which the United States and Israel play a significant role— and that, internally, it coexists with the Executive’s alignment with Washington.

Anticipated Responses and Message Control

One of the most striking aspects of the document is the section on «Anticipated Questions and Answers,» where prepares responses for potential media or opposition questions.

When asked, «Why is gasoline going up?» the minutes reply: «For two inseparable reasons: there is a war that has driven oil prices up by 54% in three weeks—speed unprecedented in 40 years—and we inherited a huge fiscal crisis because of a government that left us bankrupt.»

They also provide responses to political criticisms. For instance, in response to the statement, «This government applies fiscal discipline at the cost of the middle class. They cut subsidies for those who have the least,» the document suggests a reframing: “The government that actually cut was the one that drained the FEPP and left $40 million in cash.”

The minutes even include explicit instructions on how to handle public debate, advising against adopting certain discourse frameworks: «Don’t enter the abstract debate of ‘fiscal discipline vs. social spending.’ The left always wins that ground.»

Fiscal Argument in Dispute

This dual framing—war and inheritance—recurs throughout the minutes. In particular, the argument of “fiscal tightness” has been a subject of political contention in Chile.

Former officials from the previous government and economists have questioned the claim that there is no room for action to cushion the price increase, asserting that the Executive opts to prioritize adjustment and limit the use of state tools. From that perspective, the emphasis on the lack of resources functions also as a political justification for transferring the impact of the increase to households.

“Mistakes That Cannot Be Made”

The document dedicates a whole section to what it terms “mistakes that cannot be made — red list,” detailing behaviors that authorities and spokespersons must avoid.

Among these, it notes: “Do not say ‘the situation is grave’,” arguing that “that phrase activates panic and conveys loss of control.” It also advises “not to mention new taxes or uncontrolled debt” and “not to show uncertainty to the media.”

Another key point is the instruction to avoid personalizing criticism without backup: “Names will come from formal investigation. Mentioning them without documentary support is a mistake that can lead to defamation.”

Moreover, it warns about the social impact of the increase: “The rise in fuel prices will generate discontent among citizens, so let’s not deepen that sentiment with poor statements or bad decisions.”

Anticipation of Criticism and “Traps”

The minutes also include a section on “anticipation of opposition criticism,” where potential attacks are identified, and responses are suggested.

In this context, there is a section titled “trap to avoid,” which instructs how not to fall into specific discussion frameworks. For example: “Never mention companies or high-income sectors in this context.”

Additionally, the document proposes a general strategy for spokespersons: “Always respond with the triangle in mind: acknowledge reality → point out inheritance → present the plan.”

A Narrative in Dispute

The leaked minutes to sell the fuel price hike reveal more than just a communication strategy: they show how the government is preparing to politically manage an increase whose impact will fall on households.

More than a technical report, the document serves as a roadmap to shield the official narrative, confront criticisms, and contain damage. However, behind that script lies a difficult reality to mask: the increase in fuel prices will not be absorbed by paper or spokespersons, but by the families who will see their daily lives become more expensive.

Thus, the dispute is not just over the narrative. It is also about who pays for the crisis and the Executive’s decision to shift that cost to the citizenry while attempting to streamline the message.

La entrada Government Drafts Script to Sell Fuel Price Hike: Internal Manual Exposes Communication Traps and Official Narrative se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.