Chilean government pushes migration reform amid internal coalition tension

The Chilean government, led by President José Antonio Kast, is implementing strategies to advance its security and migration agendas following legislative setbacks. Officials at La Moneda have decided to pursue an “insistence” on a constitutional reform aimed at extending the detention period for irregular migrants. This move follows a recent defeat in the Chamber of Deputies, where the reform failed to reach the required quorum by a single vote.

The administration aims to use this legislative push to pressure the opposition into negotiating on the Agenda against Organized Crime and Terrorism (ACOT), a priority for the executive branch. This package includes 24 projects intended to address security concerns.

Simultaneously, internal tensions have emerged within the ruling coalition. Republican Party deputies, including Stephan Schubert, Macarena Santelices, and Alejandro Riquelme, have criticized Senate President Paulina Núñez for using the media to question ministerial management. The lawmakers argued that such public criticism weakens the political project and urged that internal disagreements be handled through institutional channels and direct communication with government authorities rather than through the press.