Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast stated that if there is a real problem of drug trafficking and organized crime, it must be ensured that any public authority is far from drug networks. According to the president, in the coming weeks he will send a bill to require drug testing for the president, parliamentarians, governors, mayors, councilors, and political party executives. Currently, the legislation only requires this for ministers and deputy ministers, so senators and deputies are not covered by the regulation. Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast submitted to a drug test via a hair sample and announced he will promote a law to make it mandatory for high-ranking public officials. Kast, from the far right, is keeping his promise to impose a hard line against crime, especially organized crime, and seeks to send a signal that politics is not linked to drug trafficking. 'Citizens are expecting much greater transparency from their representatives,' Kast emphasized. 'Whoever holds a public office will have to provide a certificate to disclose whether they have a drug dependency or not.'
