Portavoce dell'emergenza: il piano di Kast per la tempesta

At 5:36 a.m., before dawn had broken over Santiago, President José Antonio Kast left La Moneda heading toward the Biobío Region, which has been hit hardest by the weather system affecting central-southern Chile. The area is experiencing heavy rainfall, strong coastal waves, and forecasts indicating several more days of rain. Due to the adverse weather conditions, the journey was made by land. Throughout the trip, Kast became the main voice of the executive during the emergency. From his vehicle, he conducted telephone interviews with at least six radio stations, including Radio Duna and the streaming space Desde La Redacción of La Tercera, to provide an update on the situation, outline government measures, and convey a message of calm. This move reflects a decision that officials in Palacio claim was not impulsive. In a country where earthquakes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and storms are part of recent history, managing emergencies is one of the toughest tests for any administration. Officials say the deployment of the president and ministers and under-secretaries was planned in advance, forming part of a strategy aimed at early presence on the ground and preventive coordination. Kast visited the drainage works of the Santa Marta Channel in Maipú. According to the presidential office, this work began months ago. During the summer, when it was already anticipated that this winter would have such characteristics, meetings were held in the former Office of the Incumbent President (OPE) to define response protocols, establish coordination among ministries, and determine that sectoral authorities should also take on a role in territorial coordination during such contingencies. Part of that planning started to be implemented before the weather system touched land. Over the past few days, the government deployed various under-secretaries as liaisons in regions projected to be most affected, tasked with coordinating with local authorities and monitoring the evolution of the event on the ground. The operation has been led by Minister of the Interior, Claudio Alvarado, and Under-Secretary of the ministry, Máximo Pavez, who has participated since the beginning of the emergency in the briefings of Senapred alongside the national director of the organization, Alicia Cebrián. In Palacio, they explain that the management of an emergency of this nature is divided into different stages. The first focused on anticipation, including the preventive deployment of authorities, the declaration of early warnings, and the activation of resources to address the contingency. One of the most notable measures was the activation of a decree allowing the use of up to 2% of regional emergency funds at the start of this week. Once the event began, the focus shifted towards coordination on the ground and the capacity to respond, ensuring that the presence of authorities does not interfere with the functioning of institutions responsible for the emergency. In parallel, the government ordered the quartering of personnel and activated extraordinary financing mechanisms contemplated for such situations. Despite the change in communication structure following Mara Sedini’s departure from the cabinet, an approach distinct from the traditional one, with Alvarado concentrating institutional decisions and Pavez handling daily contingencies, the executive maintains that the communication response is effective.