Chilean President José Antonio Kast (Republican Party, right) argued with a child who refused to greet him, and with the boy’s mother, who was subsequently arrested. The episode took place on Thursday (June 25, 2026), in Villarrica, a city in the La Araucanía region, in the south of the country.
According to the do Chile, the woman was arrested by police minutes after the verbal confrontation. The arrest took place after an identity check revealed that she had two active arrest warrants for embezzlement.
THE DISCUSSION
The incident occurred during a visit by Kast to the Liquén Cultural Center, where the president participated in a ceremony handing over domain titles to Mapuche families. When greeting residents who were waiting for him outside, he extended his hand to a child, who refused to greet him.
Faced with the refusal, Kast approached the boy and repeatedly asked if the woman standing next to him was his mother, before speaking to her directly.
The mother responded that the president was harming all Chileans and that her son “is aware”. In response, Kast stated that his government was “Recovering order and freedom”. After walking a few steps away, he returned and said to the child: “Just as you are looking at me, with those childlike eyes, I tell you to grow up in freedom.”
Then the woman started screaming “demagogue” and other residents joined in the criticism. Kast spoke to the boy again: “I feel sorry for you, young man. Cheer, strength and faith; never let yourself be intimidated, and may your mother not use you.”.
After Kast entered the Liquén Cultural Center, presidential escort agents and police officers approached the woman to carry out an identity check. The check revealed that she had two current arrest warrants for embezzlement.
KAST VERSION
According to the Chilean newspaper after the incident, Kast stated that he only asked that adults not expose children to that situation.
“I didn’t get involved in any discussion, I just responded to a person who was filming a concrete action to generate, according to some, tension there”these Caste.
