Kast Claims Chile’s Fuel Prices Are Among the Lowest in America, Yet Gasoline Ranks as One of the Priciest in South America

Original article: Kast miró el mapa al revés: aseguró que Chile tiene combustibles entre los más baratos de América, pero su bencina es la tercera más cara de Sudamérica

President José Antonio Kast claimed that fuel prices in Chile are cheaper than in most American countries. However, international data suggests otherwise, indicating that the 95 octane gasoline sold in Chile is the third most expensive in South America.

«When we look at prices in other countries, we see that in Chile, the comparison is lower than in most countries on the American continent,» the president stated on Wednesday during his participation in the inauguration ceremony of AWS South America (Chile), as reported by BioBioChile.

Nevertheless, the president’s statements raise questions when compared to international indicators.

According to GlobalPetrolPrices, a site specialized in tracking global fuel prices, Chile does not record lower prices than the rest of the American continent for gasoline; instead, it ranks among the highest priced.

In fact, based on the list evaluating the price of 95 octane gasoline, updated as of November 9, the country ranks 12th out of a total of 36 nations and territories in America with the highest fuel costs, according to data published on the platform.

Additionally, it holds the third highest price in South America and the ninth highest in Latin America.

Within South America, only Uruguay ($2.201 per liter) and Peru ($1.670.8) have higher rates than Chile. In contrast, prices are lower in Argentina ($1.406.1), Brazil ($1.228.9), Paraguay ($1.195.1), and Bolivia ($578).

Rising Gas Prices, Falling Support for Kast, and Truckers on Strike

The contradiction between Kast’s statements and international figures occurs amid a national strike by truckers protesting rising fuel prices, a factor that has increased their operational costs.

Meanwhile, as the price of gasoline continues to rise, the level of support for the president keeps declining, and in seven months he lost 31 approval points, while 75% of the population reports being affected by the fuel price increase.

According to the SWAY Thermometer, a study conducted by the consulting firm SWAY LATAM, focusing on the evolution of Kast’s administration assessment and based on the analysis of 149 measurements from six opinion polls (Cadem, Criteria, Pulso Ciudadano, Black & White, Data Influye, and CEP), as well as 61 government announcements, 100 milestones of the administration, and more than 18,500 press releases published by nine media outlets, the far-right leader’s support fell from 57% in March, when he took office, to 26% by the end of October.

Explaining the factors that contributed to the steady decline in presidential approval, the study suggests that trust and expectations were broken from the early weeks of Kast’s government, with the implementation of the so-called «gasoline hike,» which suspended the dampening effect of the Fuel Price Stabilization Mechanism (Mepco), triggering a historic increase of up to $391.5 in gasoline and $580.3 in diesel prices.

According to the data collected and analyzed for the report, 75% of respondents reported being impacted by the increase in fuel prices, and 58% indicated they were forced to spend less on other necessities.