President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Flag of Chile
Emblem of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Incumbent Karol Cariola since 15 April 2024
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Style	His Excellency The Honorable
Seat	National Congress of Chile, Valparaíso
Nominator	Political parties
Appointer	Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Term length	One legislative year
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Chile
Formation	July 4, 1811; 213 years ago (1811-07-04)
First holder	Juan Antonio Ovalle
Deputy	First Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies Second Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies
Salary	US$133,282 CLP$112,198,212
Website	Official website: http://www.camara.cl/

The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile is a very important leader in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. This person is the highest authority in the Chamber, which is like one part of Chile's parliament. The job was created way back in 1811.

If the President of Chile cannot do their job, other leaders step in. The President of the Chamber of Deputies is third in line to take over. This is after the Minister of the Interior and Public Security and the President of the Senate.

Currently, Karol Cariola holds this important position. She started her term on April 15, 2024.

How the President is Chosen

The leaders of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile include a President, a First Vice President, and a Second Vice President. They are all chosen by a special vote. This vote is done in secret.

• The President and Vice Presidents can be chosen again for another term.
• If the President of the Chamber resigns, new elections are held quickly. These elections happen within 45 hours after the position becomes empty.

History of the President's Role

The role of the President of the Chamber of Deputies has changed over time. Let's look at some key periods in Chile's history.

Early Years (1810–1814)

The very first President of the Chamber of Deputies was Juan Antonio Ovalle. He was a lawyer and a landowner. He was elected in 1811 to lead the First National Congress of Chile. He served for only 16 days. Then, Martín Calvo Encalada took over the role.

Later, in September 1811, José Miguel Carrera led a big change in government. He wanted a more radical government. Joaquín Larraín became the new President of the Chamber. The Congress then passed many new laws.

However, things got difficult between José Miguel Carrera and other leaders. So, Carrera dissolved the Congress in December 1811. The Congress was brought back in 1812. But it only had the Senate, and it stopped existing in 1814. This happened after Chile lost an important battle.

New Republic (1817–1823)

After a few years, Bernardo O'Higgins, a top leader, brought back the Congress in 1818. At first, it was just the Senate. In 1822, a new plan was made for two parts of Congress: a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. But this plan couldn't be fully started. This was because of political problems in the country.

In 1823, a new constitution was written. It created a Congress with only one part, the Senate.

Chilean Civil War of 1891

Ramón Barros Luco was President of the Chamber during the Civil War.

In 1891, there were many disagreements between the President and the Congress. This led to a civil war. Congress wanted to remove the government that was in power.

Ramón Barros Luco was the President of the Chamber at that time. He signed a document to remove President José Manuel Balmaceda. This action caused the Chilean Navy to support Congress.

After Congress won the civil war, Barros Luco helped lead a temporary government. This government organized new elections for parliament and local areas.

Military Government (1973–1990)

In 1973, there was a big change in Chile's government. The Congress was closed down. A military government took over, led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Luis Pareto González was the last President of the Chamber of Deputies before Congress was dissolved. He had supported a document that accused the previous government of trying to create a totalitarian state.

Return to Democracy (1990–present)

Congress was reopened in March 1990. This was part of Chile's return to democracy. New elections for President and Parliament were held in December 1989.

María Maluenda was a champion for human rights. She served as a temporary President of the Chamber when it first reopened. After that, José Antonio Viera-Gallo was elected.

In 2008, the President of the Chamber, Juan Bustos, passed away. The country declared three days of national mourning. Another leader, Guillermo Ceroni, took over temporarily. Then, Francisco Encina was elected.

In November 2019, some members of Congress asked the President of the Chamber, Iván Flores, to resign. This was because he decided to stop activities during protests. They felt this hurt the image of Congress. Later that month, protestors threw rocks at Flores' office.

In April 2020, Diego Paulsen became the youngest person to hold the position. He was 32 years old.

What the President Does

Iván Flores leading a session in the Chamber of Deputies in 2019.

The main job of the President is to lead the Chamber. They must make sure everything runs smoothly and stays in order.

• If things get out of control, the President can ask people to leave.
• They can also ask for help from the police to keep or bring back order.

The President of the Chamber can also decide if new laws or changes to the constitution are allowed. They check if these proposals follow Article 65 of the Constitution of Chile. This article says that only the President of the Republic can suggest changes that affect how the country is divided or how money is handled.

How to Address the President

The President of the Chamber of Deputies is given the special title "His Excellency". This title is used in formal situations or official documents. All members of the Chamber, including the President, are also called "The Honorable".

When talking about the President, you should refer to them in the third person. This is the same way you would refer to other members of the Chamber.

Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile

Since 1990

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Party
1		María Maluenda (1920–2011)	11 March 1990	11 March 1990		Party for Democracy
2		José Antonio Viera-Gallo (born 1943)	11 March 1990	21 July 1993		Party for Democracy
3		Jorge Molina Valdivieso (born 1932)	21 July 1993	11 March 1994		Party for Democracy
4		Jorge Schaulsohn (born 1952)	11 March 1994	3 November 1994		Party for Democracy
5		Vicente Sota (1924–2017)	3 November 1994	14 March 1995		Party for Democracy
6		Jaime Estévez (born 1946)	14 March 1995	19 November 1996		Socialist Party
7		Gutenberg Martínez (born 1950)	19 November 1996	11 March 1999		Christian Democratic Party
8		Carlos Montes (born 1946)	11 March 1999	22 March 2000		Socialist Party
9		Víctor Barrueto (born 1953)	22 March 2000	3 March 2001		Party for Democracy
10		Luis Pareto (1928-2022)	3 March 2001	11 March 2002		Christian Democratic Party
11		Adriana Muñoz (born 1948)	11 March 2002	13 March 2003		Party for Democracy
12		Isabel Allende Bussi (born 1945)	13 March 2003	16 March 2004		Socialist Party
13		Pablo Lorenzini (born 1949)	16 March 2004	6 January 2005		Christian Democratic Party
14		Gabriel Ascencio (born 1953)	6 January 2005	11 March 2006		Christian Democratic Party
15		Antonio Leal (1950-2021)	11 March 2006	20 March 2007		Party for Democracy
16		Patricio Walker (born 1969)	20 March 2007	13 March 2008		Christian Democratic Party
17		Juan Bustos (1935–2008)	13 March 2008	7 August 2008		Socialist Party
18		Guillermo Ceroni (born 1946)	7 August 2008	14 August 2008		Party for Democracy
19		Francisco Encina (born 1943)	14 August 2008	18 March 2009		Socialist Party
20		Rodrigo Álvarez (born 1966)	18 March 2009	11 March 2010		Independent Democratic Union
21		Alejandra Sepúlveda (born 1965)	11 March 2010	15 March 2011		Independent Regionalist Party
22		Patricio Melero (born 1956)	15 March 2011	20 March 2012		Independent Democratic Union
23		Nicolás Monckeberg (born 1973)	20 March 2012	3 April 2013		National Renewal
24		Edmundo Eluchans (born 1950)	3 April 2013	11 March 2014		Independent Democratic Union
25		Aldo Cornejo (born 1955)	11 March 2014	17 March 2015		Christian Democratic Party
26		Marco Antonio Núñez (born 1966)	17 March 2015	22 March 2016		Party for Democracy
27		Osvaldo Andrade (born 1953)	22 March 2016	22 March 2017		Socialist Party
28		Fidel Espinoza (born 1970)	22 March 2017	11 March 2018		Socialist Party
29		Maya Fernández (born 1971)	11 March 2018	19 March 2019		Socialist Party
30		Iván Flores (born 1955)	19 March 2019	7 April 2020		Christian Democratic Party
31		Diego Paulsen (born 1987)	7 April 2020	11 March 2022		National Renewal
32		Raúl Soto (born 1987)	11 March 2022	7 November 2022		Party for Democracy
33		Vlado Mirosevic (born 1987)	7 November 2022	24 July 2023		Liberal Party
34		Ricardo Cifuentes (born 1962)	24 July 2023	15 April 2024		Christian Democratic Party
35		Karol Cariola (born 1987)	15 April 2024	Incumbent		Communist Party of Chile

Timeline

Since 1990

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de la Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados de Chile para niños

• National Congress of Chile
• President of the Senate of Chile