Original article: El «Factor Duco»: La nominación que fractura al deporte y pone en jaque la ética del próximo gabinete

The «Duco Factor»: A Controversial Nomination that Challenges Sports Integrity and Ethics in the Incoming Cabinet

What began as a mere rumor in the halls of Congress has escalated into a naming crisis for José Antonio Kast’s future cabinet.

Natalia Duco Soler (36), a renowned national shot putter, has emerged as the front-runner for the Ministry of Sport. However, her candidacy is overshadowed by a three-year doping ban and allegations of a «favor for favor» exchanged with her main supporter, Senator Sebastián Keitel.

A Profile Marked by Ambivalence

Natalia Duco is a figure filled with contrasts. On one hand, she boasts a distinguished athletic career and an honors degree in psychology. On the other hand, her biography is indelibly marked since April 2018, when she tested positive for GHRP-6, a substance aimed at releasing growth hormone.

After undergoing a media rehabilitation through television appearances and a stint in municipal management in Huechuraba, many perceive her potential ministerial role not as a triumph of resilience but as a well-crafted public relations maneuver.

The Cost of a Political Favor and the Displeasure of Conservative Base

In political circles, Duco’s nomination is seen as a direct concession to Senator Keitel. «Natalia was the name I suggested and will support,» the senator acknowledged to La Tercera on January 13.

This potential appointment has triggered alarms among the more conservative factions of the coalition. For these groups, the signal is «unacceptable.»

Internal sources indicate that a government promising «order and principles» should not grant the highest authority in sports to someone who has violated the sacred principle of fair play. There is a deep-seated discomfort with the notion that «popularity» might outweigh the ethical exemplary behavior required of a government minister.

The Ghost of «Political Shielding»

This criticism is not new. Journalist Juan Cristóbal Guarello, in his famous column «Useless Support,» had already denounced back in 2018 the attempts of the state apparatus, while Pauline Kantor was Minister of Sport, to shield the athlete right after the positive test was made public.

«What does ‘support so her case is treated transparently’ mean? Was there any chance that WADA’s regulations were unfair to Duco? It makes no sense… the process does not require the minister as a bodyguard,» Guarello wrote at that time.

Today, sports media warns that appointing her as minister would complete that shielding: transitioning from being a «protected» individual by the state to the «head» of the body responsible for overseeing doping.

Experts Weigh In: «Undervaluing the Position»

From a technical management perspective, journalist Felipe Bianchi has intensified the debate in El Dínamo (January 14, 2026), questioning her professional suitability beyond her medals.

«I don’t know when everyone started thinking that the Minister of Sports has to be popular… Event organization, budget work, sports management… this has been studied for a while, it’s not improvised. If there aren’t professional competencies, it’s a significant risk; it undervalues sports,» Bianchi stated.

«Shooting Oneself in the Foot»: Athletes’ Rejection

The athletics community is also voicing its concerns. According to ADN Radio this week, the feeling at the National Stadium is one of bewilderment.

Lucas Nervi, Pan American champion in discus throw at Santiago 2023, states, «Recent days have shown that there is no sense of unity regarding Natalia’s situation. I don’t know her stance on sports or her management abilities to say how she would perform as a minister, but I believe that in a ministry where decisions have the most direct impact, choosing someone who does not generate internal consensus due to their athletic conduct is shooting oneself in the foot for the government.»

In a similar vein, other active athletes, speaking on condition of anonymity, express a final contradiction: «If the minister has tested positive for a deliberate substance, how can they demand strict protocols from us? The message to young athletes is that cheating has long-term rewards.»

The final decision rests with the elected president, but the scenario is clear: Natalia Duco’s nomination has reopened an ethical wound that neither time, television appearances, nor local governance have managed to heal, adding further tension to an already tumultuous design for Kast’s first cabinet.

The Citizen