Overview
- President José Antonio Kast, who acknowledged Friday that hosting a private lunch at La Moneda was an error, said it will not happen again.
- The April 10 gathering brought more than 50 former law classmates to a government salon after attendees’ photos and comments spread on social media.
- Following opposition complaints, the Contraloría gave the president 10 days to explain whether public funds or staff were used and to detail the activity, guest list, and costs.
- The presidency says Kast and his wife paid for the meal themselves and that no state money funded the event.
- The episode cuts against Kast’s austerity image, since he is the first president since 1958 to live inside the palace to avoid extra housing costs.