The government of President José Antonio Kast requested the non-voluntary resignation of Priscilla Carrasco, national director of the National Women's Service and Gender Equality (SernamEG), on Monday while she undergoes treatment for triple negative breast cancer. The decision drew cross-party criticism, including from officialdom, for lacking empathy given her health situation. Kast justified it citing a loss of trust due to management differences.
Priscilla Carrasco, appointed in August 2022 through Public High Management, was summoned to La Moneda at 4 p.m. on Monday by the Undersecretary for Women and Gender Equity, Daniela Castro. There, they requested her non-voluntary resignation without concrete explanations, despite the Ministry knowing of her breast cancer diagnosis from July 2025 and ongoing treatment, informed on February 27.
President José Antonio Kast defended the decision in an interview with the Chilean Broadcasters Association (ARCHI): “The trust did not exist because we have different views on managing an important agency like SernamEG, PRODEMU, and the Ministry of Women in general.” He mentioned complex situations to be communicated and offered help with medical treatment via indemnization.
An internal audit found delays in information, incomplete responses, and issues at PRODEMU with inefficient use of over $6.1 million, creating a “high institutional risk scenario.”
Carrasco called the action unfair: “The minimum I would have expected is that they let me finish the treatment before requesting my resignation.” Former President Michelle Bachelet labeled it a “super worrying signal” regarding the value placed on women's care.
Even official figures criticized: Senator Paulina Núñez called for more empathy, UDI deputy Flor Weisse suggested an alternative formula, and RN's Ximena Ossandón saw it as a bad signal.
