President Boric Leaves Office, Calls for Unity Amid Split With President-elect Kast Over China Cable

Chilean President Gabriel Boric left La Moneda presidential palace for the last time on Wednesday, ending a four-year term and issuing a public call for national unity that observers linked to a recent dispute over a Chinese undersea cable.

“Chile: end of a complicated transition between left-wing president Boric and his far-right successor In Chile, the term of left-wing president Gabriel Boric is coming to an end”

Radio France Internationale

Boric made the remarks from the palace courtyard alongside his partner, Paula Carrasco, and said, “I wish success to the incoming government, success for Chile, and may our homeland always come first, above any interest, above any disagreement.”

Radio France Internationale

The handover was overshadowed by a contentious proposed Chinese fiber-optic cable linking Chile and Hong Kong that put the transition on hold and prompted accusations from president-elect José Antonio Kast that the outgoing government had withheld information.

RFI reports that Kast publicly broke off dialogue on March 3, 2026, over the cable project, which drew a reaction from the United States and led to sanctions against several people, including the Chilean transport minister.

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The dispute briefly froze the orderly transfer of power: RFI says the handover was completely halted for five days until March 8, when the two men met at La Moneda and, after about an hour, restored dialogue and announced they intended to carry out the transition in an “exemplary” fashion.

“Chilean President Gabriel Boric left La Moneda presidential palace for the last time on Wednesday, ending a four-year term with a call for national unity that most observers took as a reference to the Chinese undersea cable dispute that defined his final weeks in office”

South China Morning Post

Observers emphasised the unusual nature of Kast’s initial break in dialogue and the political distance between the outgoing left-wing president and his far-right successor.

The handover concludes with a formal inauguration: RFI notes José Antonio Kast, elected December 14, 2025, will be sworn in on March 11 in what the outlet calls a highly ceremonial event that highlights how two very different presidents are bound by democratic rituals.

The episode leaves the transition marked by diplomatic concern—the cable project “drew a response from the United States” and RFI reports officials were sanctioned—and by public attention to choices about Chile’s digital infrastructure.

Radio France Internationale