Chile's Sports Minister Natalia Duco Resigns Amid Car Use Controversy

Natalia Duco is no longer Chile's Minister of Sport, with President José Antonio Kast accepting her resignation and that of Undersecretary Andrés Otero. The government announced the departures Thursday night, following a controversy over Duco's alleged use of a government vehicle for personal activities.

The controversy ignited after a complaint was filed with the General Comptroller's Office. Duco initially stated the car use was for a work meeting. However, video evidence emerged showing her at a party with karaoke and barbecue, contradicting her explanation.

This incident added to a series of controversies surrounding Duco's tenure. Earlier, she announced the cancellation of a concert by the popular South Korean group BTS at the National Stadium, a decision that was later reversed. She also faced criticism for her initial statement that her ministry's priority was to provide "nice clothes" for athletes. Furthermore, questions were raised about her receipt of a scholarship for high-performance athletes totaling over 51 million pesos between 2022 and 2026, despite periods where she did not formally compete. She later resigned from this benefit due to the controversy.

Duco's final public appearance as minister was on Tuesday, attending a volleyball match where she was reportedly booed by the crowd.

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the Presidency's Press Office communicates that, as of today, the President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast, has accepted the resignation of Natalia Duco and Andrés Otero, in the positions of Minister and Undersecretary of Sport, respectively.