El Ciudadano
Original article: Kast y sus secuaces: Los verdaderos parásitos del Estado
One of the most controversial proposals from Kast’s campaign is a public budget cut of six billion dollars, which swelled to 21 billion by mid-October, set to be implemented during his presidency. This was promised by the president of the Republican Party, Arturo Squella, who argued that much of these funds would come from firing «political officials».
Shortly thereafter, in a well-calculated column, Kast’s closest advisor, lawyer Cristián Valenzuela, labeled all politicians from the UDI to the PC as parasites, denouncing a «rotten state» that he defines as «an inflated body, filled with parasites that live off it, draining it and dividing its remains».
Valenzuela even echoed the rhetoric of the failed Javier Milei in his bid for the Argentine presidency, accusing all opponents of being part of a ‘political caste’. «The real enemy of the country is not the fiscal cut. It is the political caste that works to prevent it».
However, Valenzuela himself falls within the category of parasitism he described, having been in the shadow of state institutions for 20 years. His resume highlights that he started as chief of staff for deputy Rodrigo Álvarez (UDI), who, when appointed deputy secretary of finance in Sebastián Piñera’s first government, brought him along to work in the same position, a scenario that repeated itself when Álvarez was nominated as Minister of Energy. As revealed by Ciper Chile, during Piñera’s second term, he served as advisor to the Budget Directorate from 2018 to 2022, later becoming an advisor to Deputy Secretary of Finance, Francisco Moreno (UDI), between January and April 2020. In December of the same year, he provided consulting to the Chilean Army.
Ciper also highlighted that Valenzuela has been part of the panel of professionals for the Public High Direction System since 2018, responsible for selecting the most important roles in the civil service. From 2022 to the present, Valenzuela participated in at least 20 appointments within the state apparatus. His remuneration depends on the sessions he attends, potentially yielding a maximum income of 60 UF ($2,340,000) per month.
Valenzuela has also capitalized on electoral campaigns to boost his income. Interferencia reported that during the last presidential campaign, as the chief strategist for José Kast, he submitted honorarium invoices to the Electoral Service totaling 24.4 million pesos and conducted another consultancy for his Republican Party for $9.2 million.
His direct superior, José Kast, has also built a fortune holding positions within the state. First as a councilman for the municipality of Buin (1996−2000) and later as a deputy for four consecutive terms (2002−2018). This means he enjoyed the perks of the parliamentary diet, salaries to pay advisors, fuel vouchers, phone bills, and offices for 16 years at the expense of taxpayers. As journalist Daniel Matamala noted, Kast «has devoted 30 years to politics, but is not part of that political caste».
The Republican Party has 13 deputies, 8 mayors, 60 regional councilors, and 233 councilors, among other positions in the state. For Kast, they do not belong to the caste, a well-known narrative.
By Mauricio Becerra Rebolledo
La entrada Kast and His Associates: The True Parasites of the State se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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