Colina Alcaldesa Backs Government After Kast Meeting

Municipal politics is the real story here — not just a photo op at La Moneda. President José Antonio Kast met this week with more than 100 mayors from his governing camp, then 142 of them signed a public declaration backing his administration. Colina’s mayor, Isabel Valenzuela, was one of the names on it. The support matters because the meeting happened in the middle of a very practical fight over money, local services, and how much trust mayors still have in the new government. ### What actually happened? On Wednesday, May 6, Kast hosted roughly 130 pro-government mayors at La Moneda to talk through territorial priorities and coordination with the executive branch. A few days later, on Saturday, May 9, 24 Horas reported that 142 mayors and mayoresses had signed a statement backing the government after that meeting. The declaration framed the gathering as the start of tighter work between municipalities and the presidency. (24horas.cl) ### Why were mayors at La Moneda? Because municipalities are worried about a policy that lands directly on their budgets. Kast’s government is moving ahead with eliminating property-tax payments for people older than 64, and mayors have been warning that the change could punch a hole in the Fondo Común Municipal — the shared municipal fund that helps finance local services across Chile. BioBio put the potential hit at about $200 million. That turns an ideological promise into a municipal survival question. (biobiochile.cl) ### Why does Colina matter here? Colina is not the biggest municipality in Chile, but Isabel Valenzuela’s signature helps show this was not just a Santiago-city-hall move. The government wanted a broad display of territorial support — different communes, different regions, one message. That matters because mayors are the politicians who deal with the messiest parts of daily life first: security, permits, social assistance, cleanup, schools, and neighborhood pressure. If they wobble, the government feels it fast. (biobiochile.cl) ### Was this full unity? Not really. The show of support was real, but it also looked like damage control. La Tercera described unease among pro-government mayors after the meeting, saying the executive opened the door to compensation formulas for lost tax revenue without giving many details. One notable detail — Santiago mayor Mario Desbordes was absent from the meeting, even though later coverage of the declaration listed prominent mayors backing the government. So the coalition is lining up in public, but not all the anxiety is gone. (24horas.cl) ### What did the mayors want from Kast? Basically, certainty. They wanted to know how the government plans to replace lost revenue, how quickly any compensation would arrive, and whether municipalities will be left carrying the cost of a national tax promise. La Tercera said the meeting also touched broader territorial issues, but the contributions fight was the live wire. That is why the declaration matters less as ideology and more as a temporary truce. (latercera.com) ### Why sign a public declaration now? Because early governments need visible allies, and local leaders need access. Emol said the idea was to build a more permanent channel between municipalities and the executive, focused on security, reconstruction, investment, social support, and local management. In other words, both sides are trading something. Kast gets a public image of order and backing. Mayors get a seat at the table while the hardest budget questions are still unresolved. (latercera.com) ### What happens next? The next test is whether the government turns broad promises into a compensation mechanism that mayors can actually take home. Kast has already moved to widen the conversation by planning talks with opposition mayors too. That suggests the palace understands the problem is structural, not just partisan. If the money gap stays fuzzy, today’s declaration will look like a holding statement, not a settlement. (emol.com) ### Bottom line This was a municipal power check. Kast got 142 mayors — including Colina’s Isabel Valenzuela — to publicly stand with him. But the real issue is still cash. If the government cannot explain how communes will be made whole after the property-tax change, the unity on paper will get stress-tested very quickly. (24horas.cl) (latercera.com)