Chile’s president-elect nominates Judith Marín, who has publicly criticized bills to decriminalize abortion
Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, from the conservative right, appointed 30-year-old Judith Marín as the new Minister of Women and Gender Equality.
The choice generated controversy due to the public positions of the future minister, who declares herself a vehement opponent of abortion and defender of life “from conception to natural death”.
Marín gained national notoriety when she was forcibly removed from the Chilean Senate by police after interrupting a session voting on the decriminalization of abortion, shouting “return to the Lord”.
She is the former president of an evangelical student group linked to the “Eagles of Jesus”, a Christian organization that operates in Chilean universities.
In public statements, Marín has already questioned the very need for the ministry he will command and defended the “natural family” model – with father and mother at the head of the family nucleus – as a fundamental principle of society.
In October, he stated: “Our country is going through a spiritual, social, moral and political crisis, and more than ever we, children of God, need to rise up.”
Currently, abortion in Chile is permitted in three specific situations: risk to the mother’s life, pregnancy resulting from rape or fetal non-viability. Congress is discussing a project presented by President Gabriel Boric that would decriminalize the voluntary termination of pregnancy up to the 14th week under any circumstances.
Marín’s appointment occurs in this context of national debate on reproductive rights and represents a clear sign of the priorities of the government that will take power in March, indicating that the next government’s gender policies will follow a conservative orientation in line with the religious convictions of its main members.
Ministerial composition reflects conservative bias
Kast, a Catholic and father of nine children who has always opposed abortion during his political career, declared of the choice: “This unity cabinet was not formed to administer normality.” It was brought together to address a national emergency.”
The future president, who won the second round in December with a platform focused on combating crime and controlling immigration, avoided in-depth debates about conservative social values during the campaign, limiting himself to stating: “I have not changed my convictions”.
The announced cabinet is made up of 13 men and 11 women, with an average age of 54 years old. The majority come from right-wing and conservative-right sectors, with a minority representation of centrist voices.
Two names draw attention due to their historical connections: Fernando Barros (68), future Minister of Defense, and Fernando Rabat (53), future Minister of Justice, both lawyers who defended former dictator Augusto Pinochet in legal proceedings.
Kast, who assumes the presidency on March 11 for a four-year term, is known for his historic support for Pinochet – he even campaigned for the dictator to remain in power before the 1988 plebiscite. In 2017, during his first presidential campaign, he stated that Pinochet would vote for him if he were still alive.
With information from The Guardian on 01/21/2026
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/01/21/chile-ativista-da-extrema-direita-sera-ministra-da-mulher-e-igualdade-de-genero/
