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Original article: “Resorts para las chinchillas” y “cántaros”: Nuevamente la ironía y el desprecio de Kast contra la protección ambiental y arqueológica

Kast’s Controversial Remarks on Environmental and Archaeological Protections: «Resorts for Chinchillas» and «Cántaros»

President José Antonio Kast has reignited controversy surrounding environmental and cultural heritage protections by publicly questioning the halting of investment projects due to archaeological finds, ecological corridors, and wildlife protections.

According to CNN Chile, the President remarked, «We could have built a resort for chinchillas, 5 kilometers further on, for $1 million, and it would have been more economical,» referring to a halted transmission line in northern Chile due to the presence of a chinchilla colony.

During the same address, the head of state also made ironic remarks about hospital projects and hydroelectric plants that have been suspended due to environmental and heritage criteria. He stated, «They stopped a hospital because an ecological corridor was needed so that the little spiders could move from one side of the hospital to the other.» He further criticized a hydroelectric project in Los Lagos that was halted after archaeological remains were discovered: «Some arrowheads and pieces of pot appeared (…) It’s the same type of arrowhead found in all museums and many homes.» Kast concluded by insisting that «common sense is returning» to environmental processing.

Senate President Urges for «More Prudence, More Balance, More Temperance, and of Course, More Responsibility»

His remarks triggered immediate reactions. According to El Mostrador, Senate President Paulina Núñez urged the President to act with «more prudence» and distanced herself from the tone used. «I believe that one can perfectly advance alongside growth, construction, and development while also respecting the environment,» the senator stated, linking the debate to «the health of people» and «our past.»

The legislator acknowledged legitimate concerns regarding excessive delays in some processes, remarking that «When one sees that an issue is stopped because a button was found and it takes months to know whether it is a button from the Pacific War or not, it is clear that one questions that situation.» However, she emphasized that there are cases where halts are necessary: «If one finds human remains, obviously the situation needs to stop to investigate who they are, where they came from, and much more.» She ultimately called for action with «more prudence, more balance, more temperance, and of course, more responsibility.»

Series of Actions Against the Environment and Cultural Heritage

This controversy occurs amid a governmental push to accelerate investment projects and relax environmental procedures.

Various media reports and critical analyses have pointed to a series of statements from the government targeting wetlands, protected wildlife, and environmental regulations. Kast previously labeled «extreme environmentalism» as one of the «isms» that threaten democracy and asserted that these movements «prioritize nature over the centrality of the person.»

In Coyhaique, he further mocked wetlands and wildlife, saying, «A colony of pirigüines or little frogs arrives (…) and then we have to protect the lives of those pirigüines,» adding that «the entire countryside could be declared a wetland because the entire countryside is wet.»

Presidential Campaign and Environmental Program Under Scrutiny

The President’s recent comments have also reignited old questions regarding his environmental rhetoric during the 2025 presidential campaign. At the XX Business Meeting of the South (EESUR-2025), Kast, then a candidate, harshly criticized the so-called «environmental permits.» «The Hospital of Río Bueno is halted because they found a pot, it’s unbelievable (…) $200 million for that, a disgrace,» he declared. In the same setting, he launched one of his most controversial phrases: «Just as we said ‘goodbye to loans,’ goodbye to environmental guides.»

During that meeting, Kast also ridiculed ecological protection measures. «Those environmental guides are created by local bureaucrats, and if they like something, they create a guide to protect the little spiders. If they like birds, they create a guide to protect the birds,» he stated, according to event coverage. These remarks prompted criticism from environmental organizations and scientific sectors, accusing him of attempting to discredit ecological and heritage protection instruments.

Questions also extended to the current President’s program. An analysis from the specialized outlet Uno Punto Cinco concluded that climate change and the environment were mentioned «marginally,» subordinated to economic growth and «regulatory facilitation» for mining, energy, and agro-industrial projects.

The report warned that there were no concrete targets for emission reductions or specific commitments regarding wetlands, glaciers, or salt flats. «More than a climate action plan, it resembles a proposal prioritizing investment attraction and productivity, sidelining environmental commitments,» the analysis concluded, while scientists and civic organizations remain alert to potential rollbacks in the country’s environmental and heritage institutional framework.

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