Chilean Official Marcos Jara Banned from World Aquatics for 20 Years

The Aquatics Integrity Unit of World Aquatics has imposed a 20-year ban on Marcos Jara, the former president of the Chilean Federation of Aquatics Sport. This decision was made after Jara was found to have breached the FINA Code of Conduct twice and the FINA Code of Ethics once.

Jara’s misconduct involved submitting altered invoices and false information to World Aquatics in 2020 and 2021 with the aim of misappropriating funds through the Olympic Aquatics Support Program. He managed to acquire an additional $50,000 USD through these deceptive practices before an investigation was launched.

On August 25, 2023, Jara was provisionally charged, and the official ban will be in effect until August 25, 2043, following its formal enactment in March. During this period, Jara is barred from engaging in any aquatic-related activities on behalf of World Aquatics, any continental organization, World Aquatics member, or recognized body. Additionally, he has been ordered to repay the misappropriated funds by paying a fine of $50,000.

Jara is among several officials who have been banned by World Aquatics in recent months. For instance, Aleksandar Malenko, the former president of the National Swimming Federation of North Macedonia, was given a lifetime ban in January. Taha Sulaiman Al Kishry, former chairman of the Arab Swimming Federation, received an 18-month suspension shortly thereafter. More recently, Christopher Duenas and Andrew Ho Lee, both coaches and administrators of the Guam Swimming Federation, were banned for three years for violating World Aquatics’ integrity code.

Before his ban, Jara served as the president of the Chilean Federation of Aquatics Sport from 2019 to 2021.