Jara Distances Herself From Albornoz Over ENAP Trips: «I Turned Down Many Trips as Minister»

Jeannette Jara, the Unidad por Chile presidential candidate, addressed the controversy surrounding Laura Albornoz, a spokesperson for her campaign, after it emerged that Chile’s Comptroller General is investigating a series of foreign trips Albornoz took while serving as a director at the state-owned National Petroleum Company (ENAP).

During her appearance on the program «El Candidato» on Mega, Jara distanced herself from such practices in the public sector and recalled that even during her tenure as minister of Labor and Social Security she chose to decline many proposed trips because she «had highly important duties to carry out in Chile.»

«I turned down many trips when I was minister,» said the Communist Party member, who currently leads polls ahead of the November 16 vote.

Comptroller investigates the trips

The issue entered the public debate after the Comptroller General’s Office, led by Dorothy Pérez, opened an inquiry following a complaint filed by Republican lawmaker Luis Fernando Sánchez. The investigation seeks to clarify the background and spending associated with Albornoz’s travel in her capacity as an ENAP director, a post she assumed in March 2023 through the Senior Public Management system (Alta Dirección Pública).

The state-owned company issued a document in response to a Comptroller’s request dated September 12, 2025. In the letter signed by its CEO, Julio Friedmann, ENAP lists and details all domestic and international trips taken by Albornoz since her appointment. The report cites seven trips abroad, with destinations including Rio de Janeiro, Morocco — on two occasions —, New York, Paraguay, and Mexico City. The total cost of these trips would exceed 38 million pesos.

Jara distances herself from Albornoz

When journalists on «El Candidato» asked whether she knew about the complaint, Jara first responded: «Which one? Because they’ve said a lot of things.» She then clarified: «Ah, yes — that she traveled before she was my spokesperson, in relation to the position she holds.»

Pressed on her stance toward this type of practice, the governing coalition’s candidate set her own standard of conduct, distancing herself from any travel Albornoz may have undertaken as a member of ENAP’s board.

«In general, I don’t like those things in public administration,» the former labor chief said.

«In fact, let me tell you that when I was minister, I traveled only out of indispensable obligations. I declined many trips I could have taken because I had highly important tasks to carry out in Chile — and they delivered results, which I’m very pleased about, like the pension reform,» the La Moneda hopeful emphasized, in comments reported by La Tercera.

Albornoz under scrutiny from the right

It is worth noting that Laura Albornoz was already in the sights of right-wing sectors — even before the Comptroller’s investigation became public. Pressure on the former DC member began the moment she took on the role of spokesperson for Jara’s campaign.

A group of opposition lawmakers, led by Republican Luis Fernando Sánchez, argued she should leave the state company’s board over a so-called «double militancy.»

Arguing a possible conflict of interest from exercising dual roles, they insist she suspend her participation in ENAP for the duration of the presidential campaign.

Amid the controversy, the Comptroller’s probe remains underway, and a determination in the coming weeks is expected to establish whether any irregularities occurred in the funding of Albornoz’s travel with public resources.