Kast Critiques Conaf Decision Impacting Rare Earth Investment in Penco

Original article: «No podemos dejar que un señor de Conaf decida que Chile pierda una inversión»: Las palabras de Kast sobre el proyecto de tierras raras en Penco

Amid the ongoing disaster affecting the Ñuble and Biobío regions, social media users recalled remarks made by elected President José Antonio Kast regarding a rare earth mining project slated for Penco, located at the heart of the devastating megafire.

The video captures a debate with Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser from August 2025. In it, Kast expresses his concern that «a gentleman from Conaf» could lead to Chile losing an investment simply because the company misidentified «6 naranjillos,» a native Chilean tree noted by scientists for its unique adaptation strategies to climate change.

«Just as I mentioned regarding salmon farming, we need to allow those who are knowledgeable to operate effectively. Something unusual occurred here: the same company that was searching for rare earth elements in Biobío was simultaneously conducting research in Brazil,» Kast began.

«In Chile, they purchased one thousand hectares,» the then-candidate continued. «They conducted a thorough study of the local flora and fauna, identifying all the trees within the thousand hectares, discovering over half a million trees, including 600 that needed to be preserved.»

Then, Kast adds, «They submitted the report to CONAF, and someone there believed there was a significant statistical error that didn’t provide enough certainty to proceed, because they had made a mistake in identifying 6 naranjillos.»

«This is a statistical error of less than 1%. Thus, rather than focusing solely on high-level policies we might implement, we need to ensure that systems function as intended. It cannot be the case that someone from CONAF decides unilaterally that Chile forfeits an investment that in Brazil has already reached $600 million,» the elected president articulated.

«I would advocate for addressing the bureaucratic and ideological barriers that exist in many areas of Chile that hinder our growth,» he concluded. Watch the moment below (social media X):

Continue reading:

Lavín and Rare Earths: The Economic and Media Push to Establish Mining in Penco

«Rare Earths: The Dilemma of Penco and Gran Concepción»: The Documentary Highlighting Mining Company Aclara’s Impact on Local Communities

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