Today's News: Chile reviews pensions and payments to advisors
The Chilean government has initiated a review of state economic benefits as allegations emerge regarding the use of public funds in Congress and ministerial contracts. These events coincide with the debate over the management of ex gratia pensions and the situation of foreign minors in the country.
The Undersecretary of the Interior, Máximo Pavez, reported that the Executive is reviewing all "ex gratia pensions," which are monthly payments granted by the State to people in vulnerable situations or victims of certain events. Deputy Lorena Fries defended maintaining these payments even for individuals with criminal records, arguing that the benefit is a necessary form of reparation by the State.
A journalistic investigation by CIPER revealed that the Chamber of Deputies paid 189 million pesos in severance to 67 advisors who were dismissed to work on political campaigns and then rehired. In total, the institution has spent 5.7 billion pesos on severance payments (contract termination payments) during the current period, which has sparked criticism regarding the management of the public budget and parliamentary ethics.
On the other hand, it was revealed that the company Ecomac, linked to the dual Minister of Economy and Mining, Daniel Mas, has ongoing projects with the Ministry of Housing worth nearly 25 billion pesos. Although the minister declared his involvement in the firm, the amount of the state contracts has led to questions about potential conflicts of interest in the awarding of public works.
Finally, lawyer Carolina Rudnick from the Libera Foundation criticized the management of La Moneda (the seat of government) and the alleged inaction of the Prosecutor's Office (the body that investigates crimes) in the case of Haitian children who entered the country. The issue has generated intense political clashes, including criticism of Deputy Johannes Kaiser for statements that were described as stigmatizing for the migrant population.
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