The "Lavín program" that drives UDI

A few hours before the end of the deadline for the registration of candidates for the municipal elections of October 2016, the UDI surprised by registering Joaquín Lavín in Las Condes. The then communal leader, Francisco de la Maza, declined his choice in favor of the former minister, who had recently abandoned the competition for the municipality of Santiago, leaving the race open to the RN Felipe Alessandri

. in the UDI to explain the "pragmatism" with which Lavín makes his decisions. "He's acting with a cool head and with numbers in his hand, but he's open to the challenges that the party poses," says one of his closest badociates.

According to the same logic and "at the last minute" gremialismo – the current mayor would define whether or not he competes for the first election of regional governors, figure that will replace one of the intendants and that, from 2020, it will be chosen by popular vote. Its neighbors say that the "dream position" for Lavín is that of "alkalde mayor", a figure that does not exist in Chile and that, in this scenario, the one that resembles him the most is that of the regional governor.

The chief of Las Condes has publicly and privately rejected his intention to compete for the metropolitan area, and many are still calling him the "natural candidate" for this contest. Everything, reinforced in recent days by the agenda that has led through the construction of social housing, focusing on integration, and their successes in community safety.

Near Lavín explain that their agenda was planned with details from the first moment, that several models of social housing in the world were studied and that this fits into a broader conception: a plan of Social integration that will include in the coming months the launch of a system of buses and electric bicycles in the neighborhoods with fewer resources and who spend more time to move to their work, precisely a measure that indicates what they call in their circle "social integration", which is seen with attention in the government and Chile Vamos.
With his proposal, say the same sources, Lavín inevitably ends up countering the criticism of those who accuse him of "cosista". This, they add, because it differs from the other specific measures that he has promoted, such as the "panic button", the artificial beach and the bombing of clouds to combat pollution.

"Now he installs a political concept and opens a discussion

" Joaquín Lavín fulfills all the conditions to be the natural candidate of the UDI for the governor of the Metropolitan Region, and if he wanted, I think that he would have unanimity in the party.Moreover, if he wanted to do it, I willingly offer him as his campaign manager, "says MP Jaime Bellolio

Guillermo Ramírez, who was Lavín's head of cabinet in the Las Condes municipality and is currently a member of that district, acknowledges that the bid was rejected by the mayor, "but I want to say in public what I'm doing. I said in private: do not reject it, be open to this possibility. I am sure that there are thousands of people in Santiago who understand that there would be no better person to exercise this position (…); I think he has shown that in terms of management and commitment to his neighbors there is no one to match him.

However, Bellolio, Ramírez and other UDI figures consulted in this regard acknowledge that the former Secretary of State will not make a decision without clarity on the powers of the new authority. done, Lavín said a few days ago in La Tercera that he feared that "a person with a lot of votes would be elected, who would then come to his office and say" and now what can I do? ", without "In this sense, the party recognizes that its decision will be to know the regulations prepared by the government for the transfer of powers and, in this way, to know effectively how and how each governor will be able to manage. But this is not the only difficulty

Family conflict

In the UDI there are those who emphasize that the opportunity for Lavín to meet the challenge will be crossed by what his daughter-in-law and Mayor of Maipú, Cathy Barriga, defines. e would also be "excited" with the idea. "If she decides to participate, Joaquin will not leave, he has very good relations with his son and he will not buy a family conflict because of this choice," says a parliamentarian.

However, some argue that while there are other figures close to the UDI available for this fight, such as Florida Mayor Rodolfo Carter, and the same Cathy Barriga, "there is no two opinions in which, if Lavín says yes, all UDI hangs behind him. "

In addition, another UDI source says that" Cathy Barriga must prove that she is able to win an election. She was elected because the left was divided, but she did not get 50% of the vote ", so she" would not be a good card "for the party

Presidential Candidate

Earlier this The group of MPs, led by Ramírez, paid a visit to the mayor to express his support for the criticism he received for encouraging the construction of social housing in the Rotunda area of ​​Athens. This gesture, which they raise in the Suecia Street shop, was one of the many supports that he received because "by conviction or convenience, the UDI n & # 39; Attack, no one receives only backups. "And, they say, what Joaquín Lavín did for the command of Las Condes revitalizes the UDI and explains the popular character promoted by the store.

this sense, the secretary general of the UDI, Issa Kort, argues that the holiday "is a reason for pride and support for ren force this proposal (for the construction of social housing) that goes beyond a problem of urban planning or housing; Here is an integral social and political proposal that aims for what people are looking for: evolution and inclusion. "

Lavín's positive badessment, also highlighted in public polls and polls of La Moneda, excited some union leaders to also put his name as a presidential candidate for 2021.

" At the Rising Rhythm in the polls for his actions as executive mayor, who solves problems, who opportunely arrive to defend the neighbors, who interact permanently with the citizens, if it remains in time, should be a presidential candidate, "says his former head of the presidential campaign, the deputy Javier Hernandez.

Hernandez's same enthusiasm is expressed by some of his peers, while another close to Lavin resists this idea. "He is old," he says, adding that Lavín "wants to avoid hitting a Frei", recalling the hard electoral backlash that the former president underwent in the 2009 presidential election.

According to his relatives, Lavín has always ruled out competition governors, "because he likes to do things, order, and that figure will be decorative". And those who spoke with him about the presidential option say the mayor has commented privately that he knows that none of his current measures that have generated media coverage will be "decisive" for the next presidential election. This, he added, because he sees that these are elections for which there is a lot of time and that, in the meantime, "a lot of things can happen".

Although he is pragmatic and smiling, Lavín says to his neighbors: I can not control that what I do generates effects. "