Karol Cariola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karol Cariola
Cariola in 2013
President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 April 2024
Preceded by	Ricardo Cifuentes
Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Independencia and Recoleta district
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 March 2014
General Secretary of the Communist Youth of Chile
Incumbent
Assumed office November 2011
Preceded by	Oscar Aroca
President of the University of Concepción Student Federation
In office 2010–2011
Preceded by	Jose Piña
Succeeded by	Guillermo Petersen
Personal details
Born	(1987-04-01) April 1, 1987 (age 38) Santiago, Chile
Political party	Communist Party of Chile
Alma mater	University of Concepción

Karol Aída Cariola Oliva (born April 1, 1987) is a Chilean politician. She was once the president of the student federation at the University of Concepción in 2010. Later, in 2011, she became the General Secretary of the Communist Youth of Chile, which is the youth group of the Communist Party of Chile.

Karol Cariola is the second woman to hold this important position in the Communist Youth of Chile. The first was a famous communist leader named Gladys Marin.

In 2013, Karol Cariola became a leading candidate for the New Majority political group. She ran for a seat in the Chilean Congress, representing the areas of Recoleta and Independencia. She won the election on November 17, 2013, with 38.47% of the votes. She started her four-year term in the Chilean Congress on March 11, 2014.

In 2021, members of the Communist Party of Chile chose her to join their main leadership group, called the central committee. On March 11, 2022, it was decided that she would become the Speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies starting October 21, 2022.

Student Movement for Public Education

Karol Cariola became the General Secretary of the Communist Youth during a very important time in Chile. This was when many students protested across the country in 2011. This period is often called the "Chilean Winter."

During these protests, students refused to go to school or university for months. They were demanding an end to the privatization of education. This means they wanted education to be public and available to everyone, not run by private companies.

Cariola believed that these student protests were political. She disagreed with the Chilean government's idea that the student unions were controlled by extreme groups.

In an interview, Cariola explained why the student movement was so important:

"I think our country is at a historic moment, that it is necessary to generate structural changes….We have had a process that has led this country to develop a new consciousness. Chile today is not the same that it was 6 months ago, there is an eagerness to generate changes and the need to do so."

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Karol Cariola believes that Chile needs a new constitution. She has said that she wants to work with the Nueva Mayoria group to create a Constituent Assembly. This assembly would be a special group of people chosen to write a new constitution for Chile.

Cariola, like other leaders in her group, thinks the current Chilean Constitution is not fair. It was created in 1980 when Chile was not a democracy. If she won a seat in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, she promised to work for fair labour laws. These laws would protect workers' rights and make it easier for all workers to join a union.

Primary Elections for the New Majority

The primary elections for the New Majority group started on August 4, 2013. These elections helped decide which two candidates from the Nueva Mayoria would run in the main Chilean elections in November 2013. In her district, Recoleta-Independencia, Karol Cariola received the most votes from local people.

Chilean General Elections 2013

In the 2013 Chilean general election, Karol Cariola ran to become a deputy for the 19th electoral district of Recoleta and Independencia in Santiago. She won her seat.

Chilean General Elections 2017

In the 2017 Chilean general election, Karol Cariola was re-elected as a deputy. This time, she represented a larger area, the 9th electoral district. This district includes Recoleta, Independencia, Renca, Quinta Normal, Lo Prado, Huechuraba, Conchalí, and Cerro Navia.

Speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies

On March 11, 2022, a group of eleven political parties and independent politicians agreed. They voted for Karol Cariola to become the President (or Speaker) of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies. She was set to take on this role between October 22, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

See also

• Communist Party of Chile
• New Majority (Chile)
• 2006 student protests in Chile
• 2011 Chilean protests