Chile's Senate Finance Committee clears Kast megareform for full Senate vote on July 15 amid planned nationwide protests

Summary

Chile's Senate Finance Committee cleared the final committee hurdle for President José Antonio Kast's megareform on July 13, approving more than 360 amendments and sending the bill to the full Senate chamber for a plenary vote scheduled for July 15. The legislation, the Proyecto de Reconstrucción Nacional y Desarrollo Económico y Social, spans tax, labour market, and state reform. Left-wing groups and environmental coalitions announced nationwide protests for the same day as the vote. The lower house of Chile's Congress approved the base text in May 2026.

Why it matters

The megareform is the central legislative bet of the Kast government. Senate approval would hand Chile's far-right administration a major economic policy victory and reshape tax and labour rules across the region's most market-oriented economy. Rejection or significant amendment would expose Kast's congressional coalition as fragile.

What to watch

• Whether the full Senate passes, rejects, or materially amends the bill on July 15.
• The scale of the planned protests and whether they affect the Senate vote or its political aftermath.
• How the copper and mining sectors respond to the bill's fiscal provisions.
• Whether Chile's constitutional court is petitioned to review any provisions.