Chile president to ramp up decarbonization, pressure on Israel as term winds down

By Alexander Villegas

Chile's President Gabriel Boric said on Sunday that he will accelerate renewable energy efforts and step up pressure against Israel over its war in Gaza among other initiatives during his government's last nine months in office.

In a wide-ranging three-hour speech from Congress in the coastal city of Valparaiso that marked his last annual address, Boric also discussed crime, infrastructure, the economy and abortion rights.

In comments that sparked the largest amount of cheers and jeers from opposite sides of Congress, Boric said he will introduce a law to ban imports from what he called "illegally occupied territories" and back efforts by Spain for an arms embargo against Israel.

Boric, an outspoken critic of Israel, had recently recalled military personnel from Chile's embassy in the country and summoned the ambassador for questioning.

Chile's government will also introduce an "accelerated decarbonization" bill that aims to boost investment in renewable energy sources, help end coal-powered thermoelectric plants and move the country's 2040 goal to decarbonize the electric grid up to 2035.

Boric added that a bill to speed up the permitting process for new projects was weeks away from being approved, a long-awaited request by miners, renewable energy companies and other investors. Its goal is to cut permitting times by 30% to 70%, Boric said.

"Investment projects won't develop to their full potential if we don't modernize and speed up permitting," Boric said, while also touting his plan to expand lithium mining, led by state copper giant Codelco.

Critics have rebuked Boric for not making major reforms he promised as a candidate, and for failing to see through a rewrite of the dictatorship-era constitution that was knocked back twice by voters.

Boric appeared to recognize the complaints, while defending his record.

"Have we achieved everything we wanted, with the depth we wanted? No, but we have made progress in that direction, with the conditions under which we had to govern," he said.