Chile President José Antonio Kast’s Villarrica clash with child’s mother draws criticism

During an official ceremony in Villarrica, La Araucanía, President José Antonio Kast approached a crowd and offered his hand to a young boy, who refused to greet him. Kast replied directly to the child, saying “Que su mamá no lo use,” and then engaged in a heated exchange with the boy’s mother, who accused him of harming the country and called him a “demagogo” and a “nazi.”

The confrontation was recorded and spread widely on social media, prompting condemnation from Chilean opposition figures and former president Gabriel Boric’s allies. Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado described the mother’s comments as excessive, while the president’s office said Kast only asked for respect. Colombian President Gustavo Petro reposted the video, denouncing what he called a “sober‑line” of power in Latin America.

Police conducted a preventive identity check on the woman after the incident and discovered two outstanding arrest warrants for alleged fraud; she was then taken to a Villarrica police station. The episode has become a focal point in debates over presidential conduct, child protection, and the political climate ahead of Chile’s upcoming elections.