Trending 
Chile’s new right-wing president, José Antonio Kast, dismissed his security minister and another key cabinet member on Tuesday.
The sudden shake-up comes as the leader battles rapidly declining approval ratings just two months after taking office, driven primarily by voter frustration over a lack of swift results in tackling crime.
Both the security minister and the secretary general of the government, who serves as the administration’s official spokesperson, have faced intense public and political criticism for poor performance in their respective roles.
The dismissals mark a significant shift for the new administration, as Kast originally campaigned on a firm platform promising to restore public order and tackle a severe surge in murders, kidnappings, and extortion—issues many Chileans associate with an influx of undocumented migrants from other South American countries, particularly Venezuela.
Speaking at the official swearing-in ceremony for the newly appointed successors, Kast openly acknowledged the unexpected nature of the political restructuring, admitting that he had not anticipated making a cabinet change so early in his presidential term.
Kast, who took office on March 11, is Chile’s most right-wing leader since the end of General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship, having succeeded left-wing President Gabriel Boric.
Despite his tough campaign rhetoric, his approval ratings began plunging soon after his inauguration. Political analysts attribute this decline to the public’s perception that the government lacks a credible, actionable security plan.
Notably, his first security minister was a prosecutor with very little political experience. To rectify this, Kast has replaced her with the current Minister of Public Works, Martín Arrau.
Central to the president’s ongoing security strategy is a strict pledge to deport large numbers of undocumented migrants.
To achieve this, Kast is currently pushing a new bill through Congress aimed at accelerating legal expulsion procedures.
However, the political pressure remains high; the latest survey from the Cadem polling company revealed that Kast’s approval rating has tumbled to a historic low of 36 per cent, marking its lowest point since his inauguration.
