Jose Antonio Kast, Chile’s president-elect, presented in Santiago the cabinet that will accompany him starting on March 11, the day he will take office. The team appointed by the far-right leader has energized political and social debate in the Andean country due to its largely technocratic and business-oriented character, as well as the inclusion of figures associated with dark chapters in the nation’s history.
The announcement confirms the political shift the South American country will experience after years of government in which priorities were centered on progressive policies and social reforms, following the presidency of Gabriel Boric, who will leave office in less than a month and a half.
The staging of the cabinet, articulated around the idea of an “emergency” administration focused on security and economic reactivation, has been accompanied by criticism ranging from the limited political experience of several ministers to concerns over the human rights legacy. The discussions, both in Congress and in the streets, reflect the deep polarization running through Chile at the very start of a new political cycle.
Controversy in Chile following the presentation of President Kast’s future government
The ministerial team announced by Kast is marked by the overwhelming presence of professionals without active membership in traditional political parties, many of them drawn from the business and academic worlds. The rationale behind these appointments, according to spokespeople for the president-elect, is to overcome traditional political bureaucracy and inject efficiency into public administration.
Among the most prominent names are high-profile economists and executives who were not usually part of political power circles, which, according to analysts, reflects Kast’s bet on a market-oriented, deregulation-focused administration.
The Ministry of Finance will be led by Jorge Quiroz, an ultraliberal economist who coordinated Kast’s economic proposals during the campaign and who promises to push tax cuts and growth-oriented reforms. The Foreign Ministry was placed in the hands of Francisco Pérez Mackenna, a businessman with extensive experience in the private sector and a business association leader, whose arrival at the Foreign Affairs Ministry symbolizes the new government’s closeness to major economic groups.
Independent profiles have also been chosen for key areas such as public security, with Trinidad Steinert, a regional prosecutor focused on the fight against organized crime and irregular migration, whom Kast entrusted with the responsibility of addressing one of the central pillars of his campaign discourse.
Comienza una nueva etapa. Un gabinete de unidad y de emergencia, para enfrentar las urgencias sociales. #UnidosAnteLaEmergencia pic.twitter.com/SbZItc8zmD
— José Antonio Kast Rist 🖐️🇨🇱 (@joseantoniokast) January 21, 2026
The return of the shadow of dictator Pinochet
However, beyond the business-oriented and technocratic profile, the presence of two former lawyers for Augusto Pinochet in strategic ministries has generated deep controversy in Chile. Fernando Barros, a tax lawyer with a prominent career in the private sector, was appointed minister of Defense. Barros was part of the legal team that defended the dictator during his detention in London in 1998 and has remained close to conservative circles in the country.
At the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Kast chose Fernando Rabat, another lawyer who was part of Pinochet’s defense in emblematic cases such as the Riggs case, related to the dictator’s bank accounts in the United States. Rabat, with a long career in law and ties to the business sector, will take over a ministry that, in theory, safeguards historical memory and the redress of human rights violations, which has sparked outrage among victims’ groups and human rights organizations.
Kast’s decision to place these two lawyers in positions of power has reignited the debate over Chile’s dictatorial past and the figure of Pinochet, whose dictatorship left more than 3,000 opponents killed or disappeared between 1973 and 1990. For many critics, placing figures linked to the defense of that regime at the helm of Justice and Defense is “an affront to historical memory” and a sign of possible setbacks in human rights.
Polarization that also affects Chileans
The presentation of the cabinet did not go unnoticed among political sectors or civil society. Feminist and human rights organizations have expressed their rejection, not only because of appointments linked to the dictatorship, but also due to the inclusion of controversial figures in sensitive areas such as the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity, occupied by an anti-abortion activist, which has opened another front of debate over the new government’s social agenda.
In the legislative arena, the opposition has questioned both the limited political experience of many ministers and the apparent lack of representation of traditional parties, which, according to critics, could hinder governability in a fragmented Congress and increase tensions between the Executive and the Chamber.
Even so, from Kast’s inner circle it is argued that this “emergency” cabinet is designed to respond quickly to urgent problems, such as crime and the economy, and that the inclusion of independents and business leaders reflects the need to bring new perspectives into public administration. The president-elect has defended that his team is qualified to face the challenges that, according to his diagnosis, afflict Chile.
The announcement of this cabinet marks only the beginning of what will be a period of intense political and social debate in Chile. With latent polarization and a country divided around the figure of Kast and his vision of government, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether this team manages to consolidate a coherent agenda or whether internal and external tensions shape its management from the outset.
The arrival to power of this ultraright-wing cabinet puts on the table not only the future direction of public policies, but also how Chile confronts its past and projects its future.