translated from Spanish: With dares to Santiago and the government that has arrived late also in terms of decentralization, candidates for governor of Tarapacá showed their cards

A race with a reserved prognosis is the second round competition for the position of regional governor in Tarapacá, where this Sunday, June 13, José Miguel Carvajal (Common Party, Broad Front) and Marco Pérez (Independent, Constituent Unity) will meet.
In the first round on May 15 and 16, Carvajal obtained 28.57% (26,088 votes), and Marco Antonio Pérez 25.53% (23,313 votes), so the final stretch of the campaign has been key to mark positions and win the votes that are missing to win the election.
As part of these challenges, both applicants participated this Friday in the debate “Decentralization, Territory and Local Development”, organized by the Arturo Prat University and the Regional Chapter of the Decentralized Chile Foundation transmitted by El Mostrador, as an opportunity to show their letters regarding the new model of governance of the region, decentralization and local development.
Centralism was one of the most repeated concepts in the dialogue between these two candidates, both with experience in public service (Carvajal is a core of Tarapacá and Pérez municipal secretary in the Municipality of Iquique), and who also came to this instance after winning primaries in their respective sectors.
“Many things depend on the centralism that the country is experiencing, even the issue of the streets must be consulted with Santiago. In addition, they have let Antofagasta lead all these issues and the strategy has been to enhance the port of Mejillones. There has been a lack of political will and the new position of regional governor is going to have that political will,” Perez said.
Carvajal also pointed to the transfer of powers to the regional governor, still in abeyance with bills that have not yet been approved in Congress. “The regulations are missing. It is clear that the government has also been late in terms of decentralization. But the urgencies will be determined by the citizens because imposing is not our project,” he said.
The FA candidate also pointed out that centralism is also evident “in the region itself.” “Here there has been an immediate decision, the territories and neighborhoods are asking for urgent attention, that the institutions intervene. There are no easy solutions, but they can be started and they have not been started here,” he said, adding that the challenge is to move forward in a decentralized region, so he proposes a series of proposals for the existing lagging areas in the territory.
In terms of concrete proposals for reactivation, Perez focused on the fact that “after the pandemic we have to reactivate the economy,” and the regional government can say a lot in this area, “promoting the projects to get them out quickly” and also giving a new boost to the levers of regional development, such as the Free Zone, “which has a model that no longer gives for more.”
“The prioritization of the FNDR projects is decided by the mayor with the santiago directive, 20% is decided here and the rest is a kind of paying box of the ministries. In this new scenario, the regional governors will prioritize the real, local projects, the real need of our region, with a work with the community so that the funds are destined, “said the candidate of Constituent Unity.
Another of the key issues was the housing deficit of more than 22 thousand homes in the region and the increase in seizures and camps, to which Carvajal recalled that the governor “will not give subsidies,” but he does have powers in terms of investment and that is why in his program he proposes the creation of a regional housing corporation. In addition, he bet on a “great regional agreement for entrepreneurship” and pushing in the constituent process the discussion so that public companies are “regionalized.”
The Soria factor
Although it was an almost white-gloved debate, Carvajal threw a dart at his rival, noting that “my difference is that we arrived with a transversal candidacy of Chile that seeks a renewal, It does not mean that the old is bad, but it is time to give space to other political projects in Tarapacá. We do not want him to continue concentrating power in a political sector,” he said, alluding to Perez’s bond with the Soria family that pulls the strings in the area (Jorge Soria is a senator, while Mauricio Soria is mayor and campaign manager of Perez’s campaign ahead of the second round).
Also asked about his campaign expenses, the fa candidate disparateor: “We do not have the possibility of having godparents who can collaborate with us.” “Let’s not try to get wedges, a slogan where there is none. I went to a primary, I went to a first round, I’m going to be governor for the whole region. Our proposal is a team work, which gives governability, “replied his opponent. “Governance can be done by young professionals, not a family,” his opponent retorted to him.

Original source in Spanish

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