Patricio Zapata, Senior Counsel at VGC Abogados, discusses the “omnibus bill” in El Mercurio

In its edition from Sunday, September 6, 2026, the newspaper El Mercurio published an interview with Patricio Zapata Larraín, Senior Counsel at VGC Abogados, regarding the controversial mandatory reconnection of utility services in disaster zones.

Zapata appeared before the Constitutional Court (TC) representing the Natural Gas Companies Association; he said, “we have a compelling case,” and noted that the TC’s rejection of the Government’s petition—by a vote of 9 to 1—came as no surprise.

The lawyer warned that the provision in Article 31 of the so-called “omnibus bill” (or “miscellaneous law”) has multiple constitutional flaws. It failed to meet the required quorum for an organic constitutional law in the Senate. It infringes on the companies’ property rights. It provides no compensation nor establishes defined timeframes. It was approved without the debate or scrutiny that a provision of such magnitude warranted. “One of the dangers of omnibus bills is that the focus may shift almost exclusively to a single aspect, while important issues are approved without the reflection, depth, and scrutiny they deserve,” he pointed out.

We invite you to read the interview.

Interview with Patricio Zapata. El Mercurio. September 6, 2026.