A 110-page document outlines precise objectives across a wide range of areas, particularly concerning social rights. It identifies the following as key priorities: growth that “reaches every home in Chile,” security and justice, a “state that delivers for its people,” and strengthening democratic coexistence. Proposed objectives include restricting the use of the UF (Unidad de Fomento; a unit of account adjusted for inflation to keep its value, at an exchange rate of about US$40 dollars) unit for payments in healthcare, education, and property rentals, a 20% reduction in electricity tariffs, progressing towards a vital income of 750,000 pesos per month, implementing a 40-hour week in the public sector, achieving 260,000 new home builds, and carrying out a constitutional reform for judicial appointments.
[“El Siglo”. Santiago] The government programme “A Chile That Delivers,” presented by presidential candidate Jeannette Jara, contains 110 pages, 383 measures, and four fundamental pillars.
The text forms the basis of her government proposals and, in the words of the aspirant to La Moneda (the presidential palace), aims for “concrete improvements for the people of Chile, built broadly with all social and political actors. To improve the living conditions of our families and neighbourhoods, looking to the future, facing the challenges and opportunities that our country must confront… To think of a hopeful future for Chile, especially for our children.”
The proposal has four fundamental pillars: Economic Foundations: Growth that reaches every home in Chile; Security, Justice, and Defence, A State That Delivers for Its People, and Democratic Coexistence.
The text elaborates on these four pillars: “To create the conditions for fair, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth that generates more and better jobs, with incomes that allow families to make ends meet comfortably, as well as a good quality of life for the country’s inhabitants”; “To guarantee safe environments and take concrete actions that safeguard the rule of law, allowing everyone to enjoy public spaces with confidence and peace of mind, directly combating organised crime and drug trafficking”; “To build a Social State that guarantees living conditions which allow us to develop with dignity and reward our effort, taking charge, in particular, of current challenges in health, housing, and education”; “To take an active role in achieving healthy democratic coexistence within a society that is modernising its state, generating conditions so that no one feels excluded in Chile and joining forces with countries that wish to defend multilateralism and its values of peace and human rights.”
Economic Measures in Favour of Chilean Families
In economic matters, the programme proposes to facilitate and promote public and private investment, reduce the environmental processing time for investment projects, promote public-private investment in the regions, attract foreign direct investment, develop a Green Hydrogen Action Plan, strengthen Codelco (the state-owned copper miner), increase lithium production by 30% and enhance the National Lithium and Salt Flats Institute; develop a set of measures to reinforce agriculture and fishing, strengthen financing and support for SMEs, modernise the management of the National Research and Development Agency, advance research and development of AI in Chile, and incorporate added value, knowledge, and technology into primary exports; guarantee all families in the country a Vital Electricity Consumption, reducing household electricity tariffs by 20%; effectively criminalise price collusion, and put an end to SPAM calls.
In proposals for the world of work, it suggests developing programmes to improve employment and access to quality work, extending and making paternal postnatal leave mandatory for men, strengthening the National Care System, progressing towards a vital income of 750,000 pesos per month, multi-level labour bargaining, implementing a 40-hour week in the public sector, achieving pay equity: equal pay for equal work; and continuing with pension increases.
It also indicates restricting the use of the UF unit for payments in healthcare, education, and property rentals. More funding and territorial planning for the regions of Chile, increasing the resources of the Common Municipal Fund by 100 billion pesos for greater territorial justice. “We will have a robust network of commuter and medium-distance trains.”
In security, justice, and defence, there are measures such as applying tools for gun control, doubling the budget of the National Municipal Security System, creating a specialised unit or programme for managing violence in stadiums, integrating 150,000 private and public surveillance and tele-protection cameras and 50,000 number plate readers, reinforcing border protection, lifting bank secrecy, progressing towards a new state intelligence system, new prison projects, improving conditions in the Gendarmerie (prison service) and Carabineros (national police), modernising the military career to allow for common entry mechanisms for officers and non-commissioned officers, reinforcing mechanisms for probity and institutional control, constitutional reform for judicial appointments, among others.
Enabling Access to Health, Housing, Education
Regarding having a state that delivers for the people, issues are raised such as having a National Strategy for the Timely Resolution of Consultations and Tests, increasing surgical capacity, transparency and smart regulation regarding medicines, combating abuses and regulating essential medicines. Strengthening Primary Healthcare in all communes. “We will improve access to Health in all rural communes, where 10% of the population resides,” greater investment in Mental Health, creation of a National Network of Cancer Centres, eradicating abuse in the use of sick leave. A new push for the Emergency Housing Plan, achieving 260,000 new builds and 140,000 home improvements, strengthening regional SERVIU (housing and urbanisation services), a “big mortgage” scheme for young people between 25 and 40 years old guaranteeing access to home ownership for properties of up to 100 million pesos for young people in a position to pay a mortgage instalment of up to 300,000 pesos, adjustable by UF. Creation of a Public Observatory for the Rental Market. A National Strategy for Shantytowns and having a National Reconstruction Plan. Our Neighbourhoods Plan and urban and territorial recovery, connected cities and better public transport in the regions.
Under this pillar, regarding education: having a policy for Safe Educational Environments, developing an “Open Community Schools” programme, a national policy for dignified school infrastructure, better conditions in at least 1,000 educational establishments, a network of 70 public, excellent Technical-Professional High Schools and a support programme for subsidised private education, ensuring adequate funding for the SLEP (Local Public Education Services), to confront the crisis inherited from some municipal administrations, strengthening Special Needs Education, overcoming student debt and a new system for financing Higher Education.
There will be a comprehensive policy for homeless people, implementation of the Care System, increasing the amount and doubling the coverage of the stipend for carers enrolled in the severe dependency care programme: the stipend will be multiplied by five, rising from the current 32,991 pesos to 160,000 pesos per month, benefiting more than 60,000 people. A System of Guarantees, Comprehensive Protection, strengthening Chile Crece Más (Chile Grows More, formerly Chile Crece Contigo, Chile Grows with You) and Local Children’s Offices. Extending the coverage of the Community Day Centres for Older Persons Programme from 188 to 213 communes. Creation of a “National network of community squares and pitches for Good Living” in all communes, doubling the National Sports Fund over the next four years, more science, training, and planning for the development of sport. Incentivising culture and tools to strengthen this area.
Guaranteeing Fundamental Rights
Regarding Democratic Coexistence, Jeannette Jara’s programme proposes, among other points, “to achieve the highest standards of probity, with a transparent state apparatus that improves by integrating technological advances, but also with a government that always assumes its responsibility to safeguard fundamental rights and strategic relations of cooperation for a world in transformation.”
Furthermore, an active policy with neighbouring countries, defence of multilateralism, support for coordination and democracy in the region, assuming leadership in the fight against the climate crisis, and positioning Chile as a benchmark, strengthening Chile’s international cooperation strategy, creating a Council for State Modernisation, strengthening the state’s presence in neighbourhoods with mobile offices, a determined fight against corruption, having a draft law on Sites of Memory, strengthening the Human Rights institution, implementation of a national policy for Comprehensive Human Rights Reparation, strengthening the National Plan for the Search for Disappeared Persons, identity restitution in cases of Forced Adoptions and Trafficking of Girls and Boys, generating a Law for the Protection of Environmental and Human Rights Defenders.
Also, to progress towards the constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples, create the National Council of Indigenous Peoples, seek economic and social indigenous territorial development, cultural and linguistic revitalisation; establish a clear and widely known migration institution and a national biometric registration.
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