Chile’s far-right President-elect Jose Antonio Caste withdrew from transition talks with outgoing leftist President Gabriel Boric on Wednesday, days before his inauguration, from the incoming administration.
Kast claimed that Boric and his administration withheld information about the construction of an underwater cable connecting Chile and China. Boric disputed this, telling the media that Kast had been notified weeks ago.
Boric’s Transport Minister, Juan Carlos Muñoz, approved the cable in January but did not announce it publicly. The process was paused in February due to cybersecurity concerns. The United States subsequently imposed sanctions on three Chilean Transportation Ministry officials, including Muñoz.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Muñoz “knowingly directed, authorized, funded, provided significant support, and/or carried out activities that damaged our hemisphere’s critical communications infrastructure and undermined regional security.”
Degeneration of the Democratic Party?
The collapse of the transition, the first since democratization in 1990, caused great shock in Chile.
Caste, who has expressed support for Chile’s brutal dictator Augusto Pinochet and even campaigned to extend his rule in 1988, has long faced challenges to his democratic credentials from the left.
Ignacio Arana Araya, assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, says: Latin America Report By making his grievances public and breaking off the meeting, Kast is breaking with a “valuable informal institution.”
“Chile is losing the mature, collaborative and efficient transfer of power that has been the hallmark of post-Pinochet politics,” says Arana Araya.
He said Caste could attempt to create a clearer distinction between the current and incoming governments, “expanding the scope for stronger criticism of Borrick when he takes office.”
“But the escalation seems unnecessary, as everyone already knows that Kast is a vocal critic of the outgoing administration. Such a move could be counterproductive by tainting the transition process,” adds Arana Araya.
Kast and his supporters have been accused of using bots and trolls to spread hate and misinformation on social media during the 2025 election, with most comments aimed at Kast’s female rivals.
Professor Javiera Arce Lipo of Valparaiso University fears that the suspension of the transitional conference is the start of a more hostile political environment in which left-wing lawmakers will be targeted and vilified.
She sees this as Kast adopting Trump-style politics that “centralizes executive power,” solidifying his dictator image and belittling his rivals in the process. Arce Riffo says these are all signs of what to expect once Kast comes to power.
“Kast’s next government is what he looks like: made up mostly of irresponsible business leaders with little political experience, it is easy to see how Kast could be tempted to avoid parliament and rule by decree – both signs of democratic backsliding,” said Arce Riffo. Latin America Report.
for a moment?
Ahead of next week’s inauguration ceremony, Caste will travel to the United States with other Latin American leaders for the American Shield Summit and meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Robert Funk, a political analyst at consulting firm GlobalSource Partners, sees Kast’s decision to suspend transition talks with this summit in mind.
“This is the first time there is a sense that Boric and Kast’s ideological background is hindering the possibility of a smooth transition, but it actually has to do with the special case of Chinese cable,” says Funk. Latin America Report.
As Boric deepens ties with China, which has invested in large-scale construction projects and Chile’s vital lithium industry, the Trump administration has moved to oppose Chinese involvement in Latin America.
Kast’s public disagreements over Chinese infrastructure send a strong signal to the United States that his government may be more hostile to Chinese cooperation.
“This disagreement between Kast and Boric is temporary. The bigger story here is how Kast moves forward to manage its relationships with China and the United States. This is a headache for Kast going forward,” Funk adds.
Featured Image: Chilean President Gabriel Boric greets President-elect Jose Antonio Caste at La Moneda following Caste’s election victory.
Image credit: Gobierno de Chile via Creative Commons License
