"Slap to the middle class": Parisi says Kast's 'gasoline hike' will "impact the basic basket, CPI, and UF"

The former presidential candidate and leader of the People's Party (PDG), Franco Parisi, described the historic rise in fuel prices announced on Monday by President José Antonio Kast's government as a "slap in the face. " Through his social media, the former PDG candidate referred to the measure as a 'fuel hike,' stating that it is "a slap to the middle class and emerging middle class," as well as to taxi drivers and "people who drive for Uber. " "While there will be a subsidy of 100,000 pesos per month, clearly that is not enough.

Let's remember two things: last year, the treasury collected more than 3 billion dollars. 3 billion dollars due to the specific tax on fuels," he mentioned. In this regard, he also questioned that "politicians are not affected because they receive direct compensation for their gasoline expenses.

" "That's why we said it would be a good example for the president, his ministers, and all authorities earning over 5 million pesos to have their salaries reduced," he recalled. In this context, he stated that the increase in fuel prices—370 pesos for 93 octane and 580 pesos for diesel per liter—"will obviously impact the basic basket. It will lead to a higher CPI and higher UF.

" "Therefore, it is a very bad signal, and we said it loud and clear: first, everyone should pay. And second, authorities should lower their salaries so that tightening the belt is not always on the shoulders of middle-class voters, the voters of the PDG. That's why we are not mistaken; always first the middle class, and last could be the politicians," he asserted.