Temuco Mayor Condemns Libertarian Party’s Call to Abolish Ministry of Sport as Ignorant and Outrageous

Original article: «Aberrante y lleno de ignorancia»: Alcalde de Temuco cuestionó con todo al Partido Libertario por pedir eliminar el Ministerio del Deporte

The Mayor of Temuco and President of the Sports and Recreation Commission of the Chilean Association of Municipalities (ACHM), Roberto Neira, harshly criticized Juan Urzúa, the Secretary General of the Libertarian National Party, who proposed to eliminate the Ministry of Sport under the Kast government.

«Today, we have heard something absolutely outrageous and full of ignorance. The Secretary General of the Libertarian Party has stated that we need to eliminate the Ministry of Sport. There is nothing more serious in his words, and it highlights the ignorance that we want to eradicate on matters like this,» remarked the mayor in a video shared on Monday, August 17.

Furthermore, the Mayor of Temuco recalled that sports are not just about physical activity and health; they also promote integration. «It’s the daily work we do as municipalities so that people, including children, adolescents, and seniors, can engage in various activities that are vital to the serious work we undertake,» he added.

Roberto Neira emphasized that «the municipality of Temuco has a Community Sports Plan, and we have allocated substantial resources for different athletes to proudly represent us at the community, regional, national, and international levels. Therefore, hearing such proposals is baffling,» he criticized.

For these reasons, Mayor Neira stated, «As President of the Sports Commission of ACHM, I find this completely out of context and, as I said, filled with tremendous ignorance. We cannot accept such situations, which carry a significant ideological bias.»

«As mayor, I call on all political sectors to repudiate these statements, especially those who have worked hard as athletes and have represented our country with dignity,» he emphasized.