Chile’s President-Elect Appoints Vocal Anti-Abortion Activist Judith Marín as Minister of Women and Gender Equality

Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, has named Judith Marín, a 30-year-old evangelical and outspoken opponent of abortion, as the country’s next Minister of Women and Gender Equality. The appointment forms part of Kast’s new 24-member cabinet announced in Santiago as he prepares to take office on 11 March.

Background on Judith Marín

Marín is a former student church-group leader who has been associated with the Eagles of Jesus, a far-right Christian organisation that recruits on university campuses. She has publicly defended the concept of the "natural family" — the idea that households should be headed by a man and a woman — and has questioned the future direction of the ministry she will now lead.

Her activism has at times been confrontational: she was removed from the Senate chamber by police after shouting "return to the Lord" during a vote on proposals to decriminalise abortion in restricted circumstances.

Cabinet Composition and Political Context

Kast unveiled a cabinet of 24 ministers — 13 men and 11 women, with an average age of 54 — drawn largely from right and far-right ranks with a smaller centrist presence. In his remarks at the ceremony, Kast described the lineup as a response to a "national emergency," saying the cabinet was "brought together to face a national emergency." During the campaign, he emphasised law-and-order and immigration policies and largely avoided foregrounding his social-conservative positions, saying only in a televised debate, "I have not changed my convictions."

Notable Appointments

Two incoming ministers previously represented former dictator Augusto Pinochet in high-profile legal matters. Fernando Barros, who is set to become defence minister, defended Pinochet during extradition proceedings in London in 1998. The incoming justice minister, Fernando Rabat, represented Pinochet in a major embezzlement case that began in 2004.

Abortion Law Debate

Since 2017, abortion in Chile has been decriminalised in three specific situations: when the mother’s life is at risk, when the pregnancy results from rape, and when the foetus will not survive. Congress is currently debating a bill introduced by outgoing president Gabriel Boric that would decriminalise abortion in any circumstance up to the 14th week of pregnancy — a proposal likely to encounter resistance from Kast and his allies.

Quote: "Our country is going through a spiritual, social, moral and political crisis, and more than ever we, the children of God, need to stand up," Marín said in October.

Historical Context

Kast, a Catholic father of nine and a long-time admirer of Pinochet, campaigned in the past to keep the dictator in power prior to the 1988 referendum. Pinochet lost power in 1990, died in 2006 at age 91, and never stood trial on the full range of human rights and financial allegations linked to his rule. Kast won the presidency in December following a runoff, and will be sworn in for a four-year term on 11 March.

The appointment of Marín highlights a clear cultural and ideological shift in the incoming government and sets up an immediate point of contention with lawmakers and advocacy groups pushing for expanded reproductive rights in Chile.