Original article: Boric se despide: admite errores, asume costos y blinda a Jackson
Just 48 hours before the handover of power, President Gabriel Boric delivered a candid televised mea culpa, acknowledging the missteps of his government, taking responsibility for his most controversial decisions, and passionately defending his former minister, Giorgio Jackson, whom he described as a victim of a «public assassination attempt.»
In an interview with Mario Kreutzberger, known as «Don Francisco,» on the program «Las Caras de La Moneda» aired on Canal 13, the president did not shy away from uncomfortable questions and addressed unmet promises that marked his administration from the outset.
The president admitted that flagship initiatives like the end of the State-Guaranteed Credit (CAE) and the Universal Childcare Law fell by the wayside, victims of the complex political dynamics within Congress, despite technical agreements in place to move forward, as he noted.
While he pointed fingers at the political opposition, particularly the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), for impeding progress, he chose not to shoulder all the blame onto others.
«Not everything is someone else’s fault,» he candidly admitted, bringing up the failure of the first constitutional process as a turning point. According to his analysis, the rejections of the two proposed new constitutions—one stemming from the social outbreak and the other led by the far-right—sent a clear message to the political establishment.
«The country demands broad agreements and not projects that exclude parts of society,» the President reflected, indicating that this lesson compelled his administration to recalibrate its strategy and pursue more inclusive consensus.
The Convenios Case and Defense of Jackson: «My Political Brother»
A moment of heightened tension during the interview arose when discussing the so-called Convenios case—also known as the Foundations case—that surfaced in June 2023, when an online report from Timeline revealed that the Democracia Viva Foundation, linked to members of Revolución Democrática, secured a contract worth 426 million pesos. This scandal struck at the heart of Boric’s government and directly implicated his inner circle. The president did not hesitate to call the episode «very painful,» but defended his administration’s institutional approach to act «with firmness and rigor,» avoiding corporate defenses so that those responsible would face justice.
In this context, the President mounted a strong defense of Giorgio Jackson, his former minister of Segpres and Social Development. Rather than temper his support, Boric described Jackson as his «political brother» and expressed no doubts regarding his integrity.
Expanding on his statement, the President made a serious accusation against those pushing for Jackson’s resignation, claiming that the entire process against him constituted a «public assassination attempt built on lies and fake news.»
Jackson, who was present during the interview sitting between Minister Camila Vallejo and the President’s partner, Paula Carrasco, complemented Boric’s words by recounting the circumstances surrounding his departure from the cabinet.
The former minister explained that his resignation stemmed from political pressure resulting from the Foundations case and the theft of computers and a safe at the Ministry of Social Development. Regarding the latter incident, he revealed a personal intrigue that continues to haunt him.
«There is hardly a night when I don’t think if there’s a way to find out who was behind that, but apparently, justice concluded it was a common robbery,» Jackson confessed.
He indicated that his resignation was a condition imposed by the opposition to negotiate the pension reform. «Probably if that hadn’t happened and I maintained the President’s trust, I would have continued until the end,» he concluded.
Pardons: A Personal Decision Without Consensus in The Entire Government
The controversy surrounding presidential pardons for the so-called «political prisoners of the outbreak» also took center stage in the conversation. Boric defended the measure as fulfilling a long-standing political commitment, arguing that the crimes committed by the beneficiaries were of «no great significance.» However, he also candidly acknowledged the internal rifts caused by the decision.
The President admitted that the measure «did not have consensus within the entire government,» describing it as a «very controversial» determination. Rather than seeking «scapegoats,» he took full responsibility.
«I take responsibility for this. I do not want it to be blamed on anyone else,» he asserted vigorously, accepting the political costs of the measure.
Boric used this controversy to illustrate his administration’s learning curve. He acknowledged that they arrived in power with a young team and limited executive experience—something that, he said, the country was aware of from the beginning—and emphasized that to balance this, it was crucial to incorporate seasoned figures, like Housing and Urbanism Minister Carlos Montes, whom he credited with the success of the emergency housing plan.
Monsalve Case: «I Did Not Do Everything I Had to Do»
Another of the most complex episodes of his government was the case involving the former Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, who was accused of sexual abuse against a staff member. During the interview, the President made a glaring admission regarding the handling of the crisis, acknowledging failures in the timing and manner of the Executive’s response.
«I did not do everything I had to do in the times I needed to do it. It is solely my responsibility,» he stated.
Although he described the episode as a «surprise for everyone.»
«It is irrelevant that it was a shock to me… it was obviously a surprise, a surprise for everyone,» he noted in statements reported by El Mostrador.
Nevertheless, he criticized those who, according to him, used the controversy in «bad faith to discredit the gender agenda,» one of the cornerstones of his administration.
A Farewell with Eyes on the Future
As the conversation drew to a close, Don Francisco directly inquired about the political future of the still-President. The question of whether he would run again in four years lingered in the air. Boric, exercising the caution of someone who understands the weight of La Moneda, avoided closing the door, but made it clear that his immediate ambition is not power.
«I am not leaving today with the ambition to return in four years,» he assured, though he acknowledged that having held the presidential seat, his name will likely remain part of the public debate.
«I am convinced that in politics, when things are done well, there are always new challenges,» he added.
Minister Camila Vallejo, for her part, also had space to defend her role as government spokesperson, stating that she has had to «take a lot of hits» in more than 270 briefings marked by crisis.
Finally, Boric summarized the experience of governing with a powerful metaphor that captures the burden and grandeur of the role. Governing Chile, he said, is «beautiful, but very heavy, like carrying the Andes on your back.» An image that will resonate while he prepares to leave the office at La Moneda that he occupied for four intense years.
