Confusion at La Moneda: Subsecretary’s Departure Shrouded in Contradiction Following Drug Test Revelation

Original article: La Moneda se enreda por salida de subsecretario: primero informó una renuncia y luego admitió que fue removido por test de drogas

The administration of José Antonio Kast experienced a day filled with confusion and political turmoil this Thursday following the unexpected exit of Treasury Undersecretary Juan Pablo Rodríguez. What began as an official announcement of a resignation was quickly contradicted minutes later by the Interior Minister and government spokesperson, Claudio Alvarado, who revealed that the actual reason was a positive result from a drug test.

The initial contradiction not only highlighted failures in official communication but also added tension to an already challenging time for the far-right president’s administration, especially as his comprehensive economic-tax reform faces significant setbacks in the Senate, where it had to withdraw the urgency and postpone its vote after revealing that it lacked the 26 votes necessary to ratify the Joint Commission report.

In the midst of the controversy, Alvarado clarified that the undersecretary was removed from his position, not that he resigned as initially reported. According to details, Rodríguez had passed a drug test in April without issues, but a sample taken in June raised alarms due to results inconsistent with internal policies.

Although the confirmatory test is still pending and the former official has announced he will turn to another laboratory to prove his innocence, the administration justified the immediate dismissal by arguing that legal obligations required them to act swiftly and with «complete transparency.»

According to reports from La Tercera and El Mostrador, the decision to remove Rodríguez was made during a high-level meeting held Thursday night at La Moneda, attended by President Kast and leaders of the ruling parties. In this meeting, the president personally confirmed the undersecretary’s dismissal.

To fill the position temporarily, the government appointed Tomás Bunster Bustamante, a civil engineer from the Universidad Católica and previously the coordinator of Economic Regulation.

Bunster, regarded as a key operator close to Minister Jorge Quiroz, is expected to play a more significant role than the former undersecretary in the contested reform initiative.

Rodríguez’s departure exacerbates the situation for Kast’s government, which has been forced to delay until August the final vote on its key economic and tax legislative project to avoid a parliamentary defeat, and marks the second case in less than two months of an authority being dismissed due to a positive drug test, following the removal of the former regional secretary of Agriculture in Arica and Parinacota, Jorge Heiden, in June.

The combination of a communication mishap and a new legislative setback places the ruling party in an awkward position amid criticisms over its internal divisions and the profile of its officials.