El Ciudadano
Original article: Acuerdo PPD-Kast incendia a la oposición: Flores habla de “vendidos” y PS insiste en llevar la megarreforma al TC
The decision by some members of the Party for Democracy (PPD) to forge an agreement with José Antonio Kast’s administration regarding the controversial mega-reform on tax invariability has ignited a firestorm within the opposition, unleashing criticisms from the Christian Democratic Party (DC) and the Broad Front (FA), while the Socialist Party (PS) confirmed it will approach the Constitutional Court (TC). This decision has also created turmoil within the PPD itself, with both the national leadership and youth wing condemning the pact.
DC Senator Iván Flores did not hold back in his harsh assessment of PPD colleagues Loreto Carvajal and Ricardo Celis, branding them as «sellouts».
«It seems that the government entered into a free market regarding politics, buying or selling something,» the lawmaker stated, questioning the motivations behind the agreement.
«We don’t know what the price was for the PPD to sell themselves to this government’s scheme. Apparently, they found a price; I don’t know what it is,» he said in comments reported by Diario U. de Chile.
Flores warned that the unilateral negotiation by the PPD leaves the opposition «fairly disorganized» in facing what we, who are in the opposition, have been adamantly stating: that the tax reform project, not the reconstruction, is extremely risky for Chile.
He condemned that the PPD negotiated with La Moneda behind the backs of the rest of the opposition.
«I would like to know the price of that sale,» he asserted.
From the Broad Front, criticisms targeted directly at the constitutional flaws of the project. Senator Beatriz Sánchez expressed her regret that the PPD reached an agreement with Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz regarding a project that «defunds the State». In the same vein, Diego Ibáñez described the pact as a «terrible agreement» that reduces tax invariability from 25 to 10 years for projects of up to USD 100 million.
He warned that this «10-year invariability» will apply at rates lower than what the dictatorship implemented at the time.
PS to Appeal to the TC Over Constitutional Flaws of the Mega-Reform
Meanwhile, members of the PS confirmed that the fate of Kast’s initiative will ultimately be decided in the Constitutional Court (TC).
Deputy Nelson Venegas, acting head of the socialist caucus, stated that his party’s position «remains unchanged» and that they continue to intend to appeal to the TC over the constitutional flaws.
Venegas argued that the reform is «bad for Chile» and contains flaws that warrant scrutiny by the highest court, expressing hope to garner «more support alongside the rest of the opposition parties».
Socialist Deputy Daniel Manouchehri remarked that the image of the PPD signing with Minister Quiroz was precisely «the one we didn’t want for the PS».
«Time has proven us right,» he noted.
Political Earthquake and Outrage Within PPD Ranks
The political earthquake centered within the PPD. In a statement, the National Board of the party expressed its «strong rejection» of the agreement reached by four senators with Kast’s government, which «benefits the largest companies in Chile with lower taxes».
«This agreement on the tax invariability of the reform is clear: the larger the company, the more years of frozen taxes they obtain. This is not support for small businesses but an explicit concession to large companies and the elite,» they warned.
They denounced that the agreement does not represent the party’s members, youth, or grassroots and was the result of a decision made behind the backs of the collective, without consultation and without democratic backing.
«Every peso that large companies fail to pay is one less peso for healthcare, education, and pensions,» they concluded.
They also warned that the decision to partner with Minister Quiroz condemns generations of Chileans «to see how the State of Chile will have fewer resources to finance social rights, today and for future generations,» as it undermines the State’s ability to promote fairer development, distancing itself from the historical convictions that the PPD claims to defend.
For this reason, they demanded that party legislators maintain «coherence with the principles that represent us».
«PPD cannot and must not renounce its identity nor endorse agreements that betray its programmatic mandate and the interests of the majority of Chilean families,» the statement was signed by Cristóbal Barra, national vice president of the PPD; Bárbara Sepúlveda, national vice president of the PPD, and Lukas Soto, national president of PPD Youth.
The PPD Youth joined the condemnation, characterizing support for the economic tax «mega-reform» pushed by the far-right Kast as an affront to civic convictions.
In their statement, they emphasized that decisions of such significance must reflect popular mandate and not personal interests detached from the common good, and challenged the government’s premise that the project guarantees growth, labeling it as «an act of faith» lacking evidence.
This internal rejection leaves the PPD senators who reached an agreement with Kast in a state of extreme isolation, with their own party demanding coherence and prioritizing public interest over any other.
La entrada PPD-Kast Agreement Sparks Outrage Among Opposition: Flores Calls Colleagues «Sellouts» as PS Vows to Challenge Mega-Reform se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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