María Ignacia Benítez

María Ignacia Benítez (1 August 1958 – 28 February 2019) was the Chilean Minister of the Environment, between 2010 and 2014.

María Ignacia Benítez Pereira
Minister for the Environment
In office
9 October 2010 – 11 March 2014
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPablo Badenier
Personal details
Born
María Ignacia Benítez

(1958-08-01)1 August 1958
Viña del Mar
Died28 February 2019(2019-02-28) (aged 60)
Santiago, Chile
NationalityChilean
Political partyIndependent Democratic Union

Biography

Benítez was born in Viña del Mar in Chile. She was the oldest of five children. She went to school locally before studying civil engineering at the University of Chile.

She served under General Pinochet before leaving to be a consultant.

In March 2010, she was appointed to be the Minister of the Environment by the President of Chile Sebastián Piñera despite conflicts of interest with her business interests.[1] The previous minister was Ana Lya Uriarte.

In 2012, she had a public row with the Supreme Court who were holding up a contract she was interested in. Accusations of "improper and unacceptable interference" were made against her.[2]

Benítez was married and had three children. She died of pancreatic cancer in February 2019.[3][4]

References
  1. Appointment, 1 February 2010, accessed October 2012
  2. Supreme: Benitez said are "improper and unacceptable interference", latercera.com, Andeas Lopez, 2012
  3. Baeza, Angélica (February 28, 2019). "Fallece María Ignacia Benítez, ministra de Medio Ambiente de primer gobierno de Piñera". La Tercera.
  4. Fallece ex ministra de Sebastián Piñera María Ignacia Benítez (in Spanish)
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