President Kast Highlights Port Modernizations and Security Advances in Public Address

The President of Chile, José Antonio Kast, delivered his first Public Address to the Nation in the National Congress in Valparaíso, which included interventions related to the port and trade industry, specifically regarding modernizations and expansion projects in central zone terminals, as well as trade security.

When referring to Public Works, the Head of State highlighted investments of USD 2 billion to "expand the ports, because we want to modernize the Port of Valparaíso and begin works in San Antonio, because more and better infrastructure is required, and we are working tirelessly on that; the Minister of Transport is working on it. Because it is also synonymous with better jobs and greater competitiveness for Chile, which is a country that looks to the sea and needs good ports."

"Secure ports so that we can send containers abroad without becoming a focal point, because ports have become unsafe, for us and for those who receive merchandise from Chile. And with this, we will give continuity and recognition to previous administrations, because these are state tasks," added the President.

In this regard, the President also referred to tourism, announcing that "as it is a great job creator, in the coming weeks we will introduce a bill with a new Labor Statute for tourism, which seeks to foster employment during high seasons with adaptable working hours and compensate for low seasons. This is a transversal demand throughout Chile."

Likewise, when referring to Agriculture, Kast stated that "during this period, we strengthened the agricultural sector as one of the strategic pillars of national development, promoting historic investments in irrigation and water security, supporting family farming, expanding access for our products to international markets, and promoting the incorporation of technology and innovation in production processes."

At the beginning of the speech, which started with security topics, it was explained that among the measures taken is that "in ports, measures are being implemented to improve cargo traceability and technological control of containers."

The President also took the opportunity to highlight the task force that will address challenges in ports, announced in early April. "Additionally, we will create seven Task Forces that, under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security, will seek to unite the currently dispersed capacities of the police, the Public Ministry, Gendarmerie, and supervisory services. Each will target a precise threat: borders and ports; kidnapping and contract killing; cybercrime; organized crime; illicit markets; criminal finance; and violence in the Southern Macrozone. All with monthly goals and accountable managers," he explained.

Regarding foreign trade, José Antonio Kast said that "our challenge is clear: Chile must move from primarily exporting raw materials to capturing a larger share of the value generated by future technological chains."

"The goal is that the artificial intelligence revolution is not only consumed in Chile. We want it to also be designed, trained, built, and generate employment from Chile," he concluded on the topic.