chaquetear

To switch political sides or loyalties for personal convenience — a chaquetero is a turncoat, someone who 'darse vuelta la chaqueta' (turns their jacket inside out) whenever it's advantageous. Especially associated with Chilean political culture, though understood more broadly across Latin America as a term for opportunistic defection.

• Lo acusan de chaquetear cada vez que le conviene. — They accuse him of flip-flopping whenever it's convenient for him.
• El partido perdió apoyo cuando varios dirigentes chaquetearon. — The party lost support when several leaders defected.
• No confían en él porque ya chaqueteó dos veces. — They don't trust him because he's already switched sides twice.

Using chaquetear neutrally for any change of opinion — it's inherently critical, implying betrayal or opportunism, not a principled change of mind.

• politics Chaquetero / darse vuelta la chaqueta — A well-established fixture of Chilean political vocabulary — RAE's own dictionary defines chaquetero as synonymous with 'traitor, deserter, disloyal,' and Chilean commentary (Qué Pasa, La Tercera) regularly discusses the country's reputation for chaqueteo in politics.