Irina Karamanos resigns from official duties as first lady of Chile

Irina Karamanospartner of the president of Chile, Gabriel Boricformalized her resignation this Thursday as sociocultural coordinator of the Presidency, with which she will cease to comply official duties as first lady to dedicate himself to his professional work.

“It is an announcement that we make with great pride to move on to a new stage, where with a different role we will be able to continue advancing for the personal development and autonomy of each one of us,” Karamanos said during a ceremony in which He gave an account of his work in the last nine months.

Karamanos’s departure takes place after taking office in March with the promise of “reviewing the institutional role of the first ladies” and being able to transform it “with a contemporary look”, as he stated at the ceremony at the government palace.

The position of first lady is not regulated in Chile nor does she receive remuneration.

But in front of the Sociocultural Coordination of the Presidency, the office that brings together the entities chaired by the first lady, Karamanos managed the million-dollar budget of the six social foundations he chaired. It had its own staff and an office in the presidential palace of La Moneda.

From now on, the social foundations will be in charge of the person chosen to chair each of the boards.

“I am going to continue supporting the government; I am going to continue supporting the president, my partner Gabriel Boric, and on the other hand, I am going to intensify the militancy in my party and I am also going to develop professionally in my area,” Karamanos said.

A 33-year-old social scientist, Irina Karamanos has been Boric’s partner since 2019. Of Greek and German descent, she studied at the University of Heidelberg, in Germany, and is part of the Feminist Front of the ruling Social Convergence party.

“From my perspective, this is an important advance that has to do above all with how we conceive the role of the State and the importance of modernizing the institutions and adapting them to the current times,” said Boric for his part.

The office of the first lady of Chile is created by decree when a new government begins, every four years.