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Original article: Kast suma otro retroceso: retira plan de DD.HH. con 175 medidas impulsado por Boric

The administration of José Antonio Kast announced the withdrawal of the Third National Human Rights Plan (PNDH) 2026-2029 from the Comptroller General of the Republic, an initiative containing 175 structured measures across five strategic axes, which was approved last December by Gabriel Boric’s administration.

This decision is part of a broader offensive by the far-right president, which includes the withdrawal of 43 environmental decrees and a framework negotiation project, eliciting criticism from human rights organizations and opposition lawmakers who accuse him of reversing international standards and state policies.

In less than a week since taking office, Kast’s administration has sparked what Congress is now calling the «excavator effect.» This metaphor, which is resonating in legislative corridors, refers to a government that opts to dismantle rather than build upon inherited foundations, particularly regarding advocacy issues.

«We want to use excavators to build a sovereign Chile (…) This excavator will not fail,» the head of state stated from Antofagasta, justifying the use of such machinery as a legitimate tool to clear what he perceives as obstacles to his agenda.

The latest blow in this clearing operation has been the withdrawal of the Third National Human Rights Plan (PNDH) 2026-2029, a document that the previous government had deposited with the Comptroller General for validation, an essential step that would have granted it legal status as the guiding framework for the state’s fundamental rights agenda for the upcoming four years.

The decision was confirmed by the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat, who, in statements to the press, explained the Executive’s reasons for conducting a «review» by the new administration.

«Yes, that is correct. That project will be reviewed in accordance with a new administration and will be re-submitted to the Comptroller’s office in compliance with our legal obligation in this regard,» the minister stated.

A 175-Measure Plan Now on Hold

The now-suspended instrument was presented last December by then-Minister of Justice Jaime Gajardo after extensive inter-ministerial dialogue and planning.

According to records from the Ministry of Justice, the Third PNDH was structured around five fundamental strategic axes: promoting equality and non-discrimination, with a focus on structural gaps and vulnerable groups; strengthening access to justice, security, and a life free from violence; safeguarding historical memory and transitional justice; sustainable development aimed at dignified living conditions and fair employment; and, finally, education in human rights for citizen and public official training.

In total, the plan included 175 actions committed by a broad array of public entities. Not only ministries and undersecretariats were involved, but also public services, regional governments, and universities had aligned to implement concrete measures during the 2026-2029 period. The scale and binding nature of the project were apparent during its conception process. According to the Ministry of Justice, the plan’s design involved «extensive intersectoral work, more than 140 technical meetings with responsible institutions, and a methodological enhancement process with support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).»

Moreover, it included a virtual participatory process on the platform participaderechoshumanos.gob.cl, which received contributions from citizens, social organizations, and children, allowing for adjustments to the objectives from a perspective of social and territorial legitimacy.

Alarm within Social Organizations

It was precisely this participatory nature and support from international organizations that raised alarms among civil society organizations.

For Amnesty International Chile, the Kast government’s decision represents a warning previously voiced by its executive director, Rodrigo Bustos.

Bustos noted that the continuity of public policies regarding human rights, such as the National Search Plan, should not depend on the political will of any specific administration, as these are commitments made internationally by the country.

“Any government that takes office in our country must consider the human rights framework governing it and the international treaties to which Chile is a signatory. Human rights obligations are not the prerogative of the ruling government, but of the State of Chile,” he stated in an interview with Radioanálisis from Radio U. de Chile on March 10, just before the change in administration.

He recalled that “The National Search Plan is an initiative of the State of Chile established on the 50th anniversary of the coup d’état, after previous measures and policies over decades that were inadequate to address such an important obligation as clarifying the truth about individuals who disappeared at the hands of state agents,” he noted.

Moreover, he pointed out the organization’s expectations regarding the Kast administration, indicating they would maintain a vigilant stance regarding the public policies implemented.

Amnesty International’s warning took on literal meaning following the withdrawal of the PNDH. Criticism also came from organizations like Corporación Humanas and Organizando Trans Diversidades (OTD), alongside women’s rights groups and memory organizations, which have insisted on the necessity to safeguard standards and institutional continuity in such a sensitive matter.

“Once Reviewed, It Will Be Resubmitted with Necessary Modifications”

It should be noted that in his statements, Minister Rabat refrained from providing specifics about the review’s content or the direction of potential changes.

When asked, the state secretary merely stated that “once reviewed, it will be resubmitted with those modifications that the Executive considers necessary to comply with the law” without indicating whether the content of the plan would be fully resubmitted or what areas changes might be contemplated.

The withdrawal of the human rights plan is not an isolated event, as it occurs in parallel with the closure of the Second National Human Rights Plan 2022–2025, whose final report is still under development.

For now, the future of the PNDH 2026-2029 is contingent upon the internal review by the Executive, in a process that could alter the government’s roadmap regarding access to justice, memory, non-discrimination, and protection against violence.

La entrada Kast Faces Backlash: Withdraws Human Rights Plan of 175 Measures Established by Boric se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.