After Minister of Sport Natalia Duco implied uncertainty regarding the country’s capacity to stage the event earlier this week, President José Antonio Kast confirmed the go-ahead for Santiago to bid for YOG host city status come 2030.
“These will be the best Youth Olympic Games ever,” the recently-elected leader of Chile proclaimed on Friday, as he tried to re-route the candidacy gone a bit astray after Duco, a former Olympic shot putter, slightly stepped off message on Thursday, when she somewhat surprisingly stated that the government was assessing whether or not to produce the sporting event if eventually given the chance by the International Olympic Committee.
Despite Santiago having advanced to the final IOC shortlist of possible host cities for the 2030 Youth Games, the official fell short of relaying confidence that it would actually go ahead with the bidding process, stressing that “we have to make responsible decisions, knowing that for President José Antonio Kast, the cost of things relating to sport are not expenses, but rather investments”.
Hours later, Kast, flanked by Duco, painted a different public relations picture, as they wholeheartedly, if not officially, green-lighted the project.
“We are sharing this news at a challenging time for the country. These are decisions made in light of the current situation. It is a decision made with the future in mind, thinking of the next generations. Of what lies ahead for Chile. We are looking ahead to the year 2030,” Kast stated in a delicate balancing act as he pushed to redirect the message to its original route while trying not to contradict his sports minister.
“Thank you, Natalia (Duco), for that drive, for that strength. Whenever there is a difficulty, she says, ‘No, that is an opportunity.’ And I must say that as a team, you have achieved incredible things. I am sure that these will be the best Youth Olympic Games the world will see, hosted by Chile,” the president added.
Duco responded in turn by fully aligning with the self-inflicted forced reconfirmation, which Chilean officials now hope doesn’t actually jeopardise the nation’s chances of landing the multi-sporting tournament at a time when the region is fiercely competing to hold premium international competitions.
“It is a very special day. The big news we are announcing is that today the bid for the Youth Olympic Games has been ratified. It is news we have worked towards with great determination, conviction and passion. Sport can transform Chileans, especially given the nature of these Games,” the official noted. “We are going to use these Games as a programme and a national policy to transform this generation.”
Chile’s President Jose Antonio Kast speaks to supporters.
Sebastian Rojas Rojo/GETTY IMAGES
With the IOC still considering competing bids from Asunción (Paraguay) and Bangkok (Thailand), fears among some within the local government is that the lack of communication within its own possible organisers could be viewed as a factor of instability that would score negatively among the Lausanne-based organisation’s evaluators.
With that in mind, authorities took the opportunity to highlight that the Olympic endeavour will seek to make use of existing infrastructure and thereby “promote measures to combat a sedentary lifestyle and encourage physical activity, job creation and tourism”, among other benefits for Santiago residents, included the goal of increasing youth participation in sport, improve access to activities across the country and ensure the sustained use of the venues involved.
Also present during Kast and Duco’s public address, Chilean Olympic Committee President Miguel Ángel Mujica, chimed in to beef up the ‘all in’ message. “We have put ourselves forward to host the 2030 Youth Olympic Games, and I would like to thank the president for his support. I thank him on behalf of Chilean sport for his conviction and the immense work that Natalia has done. Chilean sport had a before and after the 2023 Pan American Games, and there will be a before and after these Games.”
Hosting the event would also strengthen national sports policy and maximise investments already made years ago for the referenced Panam Games in Santiago, thereby positioning Chile as a reliable host for major events, organisers argued while hoping the 2030 YOG provide an opportunity to strengthen social cohesion, which has been put to the test after Kast, a far-right politician who favours Chile’s brutal dictatorship during the Augusto Pinochet era, won the election in December.
Despite, the latest public relations slip, Santiago is still considered the favourite to be chosen YOG host city among the finalists, as Asunción is already set to stage the 2031 Pan American Games, while Bangkok’s candidacy is susceptible to negative reviews stemming from Thailand and Cambodia’s ongoing border tensions that surfaced again in 2025.
