Aysén Transport Secretary Resigns After Pressuring Police Over Husband’s Arrest
The Aysén Regional Presidential Delegation confirmed on Sunday the resignation of Verónica Figueroa Foitzick as the Regional Ministerial Secretary (Seremi) of Transport and Telecommunications. Her departure follows a public controversy sparked by an incident at the Coyhaique First Police Station, where the former official allegedly went to demand the release of her detained husband.
According to reports from the regional outlet El Divisadero, Figueroa confronted the officers on duty in an attempt to force her spouse's release. The man was being held due to a pending judicial case stemming from a traffic accident in February 2025 in the El Peludo sector, located on Route 7 in the Aysén Region. Case records indicate that the accident left one person with serious injuries, leading to a judicial investigation and the subsequent arrest of the accused.
The Regional Presidential Delegation officially announced the resignation via a public statement. "The Aysén Regional Presidential Delegation informs that Ms. Verónica Figueroa Foitzick has submitted her resignation as Regional Ministerial Secretary of Transport and Telecommunications," the agency stated, adding that the ministry’s operations will continue as normal while a successor is appointed.
The incident forced the Carabineros to activate their standard institutional protocols and report the matter to the Presidential Delegation. Figueroa’s resignation came just hours before President José Antonio Kast’s first Public Account, marking a new point of friction for the regional administration.
This event brings the total number of regional secretaries who have left their posts during the current administration—either through resignation or removal—to 21. The high turnover in regional cabinets has affected various portfolios, including Health, Public Security, Labor, Education, Public Works, Energy, Social Development, Justice, Women and Gender Equity, and National Assets. Previous departures within the executive branch include figures such as Aldo Ibani, Hernán Silva Llagostera, Carlos Montero, Nataly Cruz Plaza, and Alexander Nanjarí Santos, reflecting ongoing instability in the executive’s territorial command structure.
