Chile’s Lower House Rejects Key Tax Bill in Blow to Boric Government

Chile’s lower house unexpectedly rejected the government’s flagship tax reform that would have created the nation’s first levy on wealth and aimed to finance a series of spending increases, dealing another severe blow to 37-year-old President Gabriel Boric.

The proposal fell short of the 78 votes required to pass, with only 73 in favor. While the government can now present the reform in the Senate, dissent in the upper chamber is likely to be even stiffer than the Chamber of Deputies. Moreover, to insist on the same text, it would need the support of two thirds of lawmakers, instead of a simple majority.