On Wednesday, Gonzalo Arenas took over the Segegob under-secretariat. A former UDI deputy, until Friday dean of Law at Universidad San Sebastián. The presidency’s press office: José Antonio Kast named him Segegob under-secretary and government spokesman. He replaces José Francisco Lagos. A post taken up. Not the appointment of a dedicated minister-spokesman. Dump La Tercera.

La Tercera: Arenas will sit on the political committee. General briefings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sector briefings on Tuesday or Thursday, depending on the week. The main condition, from government sources: a say in the communications line and in political discussions. To be in the process, not only in the form. Sources. Not a law.

Claudio Alvarado remains biminister of the Interior and of Segegob. He keeps political coordination. Institutional speaking stays with him, since Mara Sedini left in May. Chile Vamos has asked for a dedicated minister, with a seat in cabinet. La Moneda chose to strengthen the under-secretariat. Two requests. One answer. Do not mix them. There is no new minister.

Arenas arrived at the palace first thing. Alvarado received him. Meetings with him and with Kast. The MSGG note thanks Lagos, who will still work with the president. The dump: Lagos kept an administrative profile. Arenas is to talk to the parties. From the palace, not from Congress.

MSGG: a PUC lawyer, a history doctorate from Madrid, deputy for La Araucanía from 2006 to 2014, adviser at Segpres and Interior in Piñera’s second government, USS dean from June 2024. The dump: he accepted on Friday. Kast saw him last week. Alvarado persuaded him. It is not a ministerial oath.

Dump La Tercera. The rewrite rests on La Tercera and Segegob’s 21 October communiqué.

Image: Palacio de La Moneda, Santiago, 4 December 2022, Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The palace façade, not Wednesday’s handover.

Sources consulted: Asume nuevo Subsecretario de la Secretaría General de Gobierno (Segegob) — MSGG.