José Francisco Lagos left the Undersecretariat of the General Secretariat of Government on Wednesday and days later joined La Moneda’s presidential advisory team as an adviser in the scheduling area. The team consists of President José Antonio Kast’s direct advisers.
Sources consulted by BioBioChile confirmed the information. According to the outlet, Lagos will work in the group led by Alejandro Irarrázaval, which already includes former Undersecretary Andrés Jouannet and former Minister Natalia Duco.
Before he joined the presidential advisory team, the government considered other options for the former undersecretary. According to BioBioChile, these included an ambassadorship or another public post. When he left the undersecretariat, the executive branch said only that he would continue working with the president, without specifying in what capacity.
Lagos said his farewells on X. The former undersecretary wrote that it had been "an honor to serve Chile" under Kast’s leadership, thanked him for his trust and said he would continue contributing to his vision for the future.
That same day, Gonzalo Arenas took office as the new undersecretary of the General Secretariat of Government. Claudio Alvarado remains the minister. However, Arenas will take on the role of government spokesperson.
Lagos’s case repeats a pattern. According to T13, he is the third official to leave the cabinet and return as a presidential adviser. Natalia Duco left the Ministry of Sport in mid-August amid questions over the improper use of a government vehicle. In early September, she returned to La Moneda as a member of the presidential advisory team.
Andrés Jouannet followed a similar path. The former undersecretary of Security left when Martín Arrau replaced Trinidad Steinert as head of that ministry. Arrau also removed Undersecretary for Crime Prevention Ana Victoria Quintana, appointing María del Pilar Giannini and Gonzalo Guerrero as the replacements.
According to T13, Jouannet returned just over a week after leaving the undersecretariat. Lagos did so just two days after his departure was announced. The sources do not specify what tasks he will have within the scheduling team.
