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Senate of the Republic of Chile Senado de la República de Chile
54th National Congress
Seal
Type
Type	Upper House of the National Congress of Chile
Term limits	Unlimited 8-year terms
Leadership
President	Carlos Montes Cisternas, PS since March 11, 2018
Vice-President	Carlos Bianchi Chelech, Independent since March 11, 2018
Structure
Seats	43
Political groups	Government Chile Vamos 19      UDI (9)      RN (8)      EVOPOLI (2) Opposition New Majority 15      PS (7)      PPD (7)      PRSD (1) Democratic Covergence      DC (6) Broad Front      RD (1) For All Chile      País (1) Others      Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	Open list Proportional representation
Last election	November 19, 2017
Next election	November 21, 2021
Meeting place
Senate Chamber, National Congress Building, Valparaíso, Chile
Website
http://www.senado.cl

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The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.

Composition

According to the present Constitution of Chile, the Senate is composed of thirty-eight directly elected senators, chosen by universal popular suffrage vote in 19 senatorial circumscriptions. These serve eight-year terms, with half of them being replaced every fourth year. They must be eligible to vote, have completed secondary school, or its equivalent, and be at least 35 years old.

The Senate sessions at the new (1990) National Congress located in the port city of Valparaíso that replaced the old National Congress located in downtown Santiago, the nation's capital.

Abolition of the unelected

Amendments to the Constitution, approved by a joint session of Congress on August 16, 2005, eliminated non-directly elected senators from March 11, 2006, the day 20 newly elected senators were sworn in, leaving the total number of senators at 38, all directly elected. Previously, according to the Constitution of 1980, "designated" or "institutional" senators were appointed to the chamber. Two former heads of state, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and Augusto Pinochet, were installed as senators for life. Pinochet later resigned from this position and Frei lost his seat in the 2005 reform. However, Frei remained in the Senate by winning an elective seat.

Historical evolution

The Senate of Chile was created in 1812 to support the formulations of policies of the Government Junta. Since then it has undergone several constitutional reorganizations that have altered the scope of its constitutional powers, its composition and the generation of its members.

First senate

Created by Article 7 of the Provisional Constitutional Manual of 1812. It was composed of seven titular members (one for each province) and three alternate members and was supposed to serve as a counterbalance to the executive power of the Government Junta. The senators were directly nominated by the provinces in agreement with the central government. It functioned from November, 1812 to January, 1814, when it was reorganized to better respond to the problems caused by the successive military defeats at the hands of the advancing Spanish Army.

Consultive senate

Created by Article 13 of the Provisional Government Manual of 1814. As its predecessor, it was composed of seven titular members (only) nominated by the provinces in lists of three from which they were selected by the Supreme Director. It functioned from March to July, 1814, when the Spanish Army captured Santiago, putting an end to the Patria Vieja government.

First conservative senate

Created by Title III of the Constitution of 1818. It was composed of five titular members and five alternate members selected directly by the Supreme Director. It was supposed to function only when the lower house was not in function or could not meet, and had the power to enact "provisory rules" that had the same effect as laws (hence the "conservative" moniker, because it "conserved" the power.) It functioned from October, 1818 to May, 1822.

Election cycles

Key to Senate classes by regions:

• Class 1 consists of:

-the 23 current senators whose seats expire in March 2026.

• Class 2 consists of:

-the 20 current senators whose seats expire in March 2022. Plus 7 new senators, who will be elected in 2022

Current composition Senate of Chile

Constituency	Region	Class	Senator	Name	Political Group	Party	Prior Public Office/Position	Education	Assumed Office	Term Expires
1	Arica and Parinacota Tarapacá	1		Fulvio Rossi	New Majority	PS	Deputy District 2° (Iquique, Huara, Camiña, Colchane, Pica, Pozo Almonte and Alto Hospicio)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
1	Arica and Parinacota Tarapacá	1		Jaime Orpis	Chile Vamos	Independent	Deputy District 25° (Macul, San Joaquín and La Granja)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2002	March 11, 2018
2	Antofagasta	2		Pedro Araya	New Majority	DC	Deputy District 4° (Antofagasta, Mejillones, Sierra Gorda and Taltal)	University of Antofagasta	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
2	Antofagasta	2		Alejandro Guillier	New Majority	New Majority's independents	Journalist and television reporter	Catholic University of the North	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
3	Atacama	1		Isabel Allende	New Majority	PS	Deputy District 29° (Puente Alto, Pirque, San José de Maipo and La Pintana)	University of Chile	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
3	Atacama	1		Baldo Prokurica	Chile Vamos	RN	Deputy District 6° (Caldera, Tierra Amarilla, Vallenar, Freirina, Huasco and Alto del Carmen)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2002	March 11, 2018
4	Coquimbo	2		Adriana Muñoz	New Majority	PPD	Deputy by District 9° (Combarbalá, Punitaqui, Monte Patria, Illapel, Salamanca, Los Vilos and Canela)	University of Chile University of Vienna	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
4	Coquimbo	2		Jorge Pizarro	New Majority	DC	Deputy by District 8° (Coquimbo, Ovalle and Rio Hurtado)	University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
5	Valparaíso Cordillera	1		Ignacio Walker	New Majority	DC	Foreign Minister during the government of Ricardo Lagos	University of Chile Princeton University	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
5	Valparaíso Cordillera	1		Lily Pérez	Out of pact	Amplitude	Deputy District 38° (Curepto, Constitución, Empedrado, Pencahue, Maule, San Clemente, Pelarco, Río Claro and San Rafael)	University of the Pacific (Chile) Gabriela Mistral University	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
6	Valparaíso Coast	1		Ricardo Lagos Weber	New Majority	PPD	General Secretariat of Government minister during the government of Michelle Bachelet	University of Chile University of Sussex	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
6	Valparaíso Coast	1		Francisco Chahuán	Chile Vamos	RN	Deputy District 14° (Viña del Mar and Concon)	University of Valparaíso	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
7	Santiago West	2		Guido Girardi	New Majority	PPD	Deputy District 18° (Cerro Navia, Lo Prado and Quinta Normal)	University of Chile	March 11, 2006	March 11, 2022
7	Santiago West	2		Andrés Allamand	Chile Vamos	RN	Defense Minister under President Sebastián Piñera	University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
8	Santiago East	2		Manuel José Ossandón	Chile Vamos	Independent	Mayor of Puente Alto	Inacap	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
8	Santiago East	2		Carlos Montes	New Majority	PS	Deputy District 26° (La Florida)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
9	O'Higgins	2		Juan Pablo Letelier	New Majority	PS	Deputy District 33° (Mostazal, Graneros, Codegua, Machalí, Requínoa, Rengo, Olivar, Doñihue, Coinco, Coltauco, Quinta de Tilcoco and Malloa)	Georgetown University	March 11, 2006	March 11, 2022
9	O'Higgins	2		Alejandro García-Huidobro	Chile Vamos	UDI	Deputy District 32° (Rancagua)	University of Chile	August 2, 2011	March 11, 2022
10	Maule North	1		Andrés Zaldívar	New Majority	DC	Interior Minister during the government of Michelle Bachelet	University of Chile	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
10	Maule North	1		Juan Antonio Coloma	Chile Vamos	UDI	Deputy District 31° (Talagante, Peñaflor, El Monte, Isla de Maipo, Melipilla, María Pinto, Curacaví, Alhué and San Pedro)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2002	March 11, 2018
11	Maule South	1		Manuel Matta	New Majority	DC	Ambassador of Chile in El Salvador	University of Chile	May 7, 2014	March 11, 2018
11	Maule South	1		Hernán Larraín	Chile Vamos	UDI	No previous public office	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 1994	March 11, 2018
12	Biobío Coast	2		Alejandro Navarro	New Majority	MAS	Deputy District 45° (Tomé, Penco, Florida, Hualqui, Coronel and Santa Juana)	University of Concepción	March 11, 2006	March 11, 2022
12	Biobío Coast	2		Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe	Chile Vamos	UDI	Intendant of the Bío Bío Region	University of Concepción	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
13	Biobío Cordillera	2		Felipe Harboe	New Majority	PPD	Deputy District 22° (Santiago)	Central University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
13	Biobío Cordillera	2		Víctor Pérez	Chile Vamos	UDI	Deputy District 47° (Los Ángeles, Tucapel, Antuco, Quilleco, Santa Bárbara, Quilaco, Mulchén, Negrete, Nacimiento, San Rosendo, Laja and Alto Biobío)	University of Concepción	March 11, 2006	March 11, 2022
14	Araucanía North	1		Jaime Quintana	New Majority	PPD	Deputy District 49° (Victoria, Curacautín, Lonquimay, Melipeuco, Vilcún, Lautaro, Perquenco and Galvarino)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile University of La Frontera	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
14	Araucanía North	1		Alberto Espina	Chile Vamos	RN	Deputy District 21° (Providence and Ñuñoa)	University of Chile	March 11, 2002	March 11, 2018
15	Araucanía South	1		Eugenio Tuma	New Majority	PPD	Deputy District 51° (Carahue, Nueva Imperial, Saavedra, Teodoro Schmidt, Freire, Pitrufquén and Cholchol)	University of Chile	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
15	Araucanía South	1		José García Ruminot	Chile Vamos	RN	Deputy District 50° (Temuco and Padre Las Casas)	Higher Institute of Trade	March 11, 2002	March 11, 2018
16	Los Ríos	2		Alfonso De Urresti	New Majority	PS	Deputy District 53° (Corral, Lanco, Mafil, Mariquina and Valdivia)	University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
16	Los Ríos	2		Ena von Baer	Chile Vamos	UDI	Senator for Constituency 8	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile RWTH Aachen University	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
17	Los Lagos	2		Rabindranath Quinteros	New Majority	PS	Mayor of Puerto Montt	University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
17	Los Lagos	2		Iván Moreira	Chile Vamos	UDI	Deputy District 27° (El Bosque, La Cisterna and San Ramon)	Luis Alberto Barrera High School, Punta Arenas	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022
18	Aysén	1		Antonio Horvath	Independent	Independent	Deputy District 59° (Coihaique, Lago Verde, Aisén, Cisnes, Guaitecas, Chile Chico, Río Ibáñez, Cochrane, O'Higgins and Tortel)	University of Chile	March 11, 1994	March 11, 2018
18	Aysén	1		Patricio Walker	New Majority	DC	Deputy by District 8° (Coquimbo, Ovalle and Río Hurtado)	Diego Portales University	March 11, 2010	March 11, 2018
19	Magallanes	2		Carlos Bianchi	Out of pact	DRP	Councillor of Punta Arenas	Luis Alberto Barrera High School, Punta Arenas	March 11, 2006	March 11, 2022
19	Magallanes	2		Carolina Goic	New Majority	DC	Deputy District 60° (Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas, Río Verde, Laguna Blanca, San Gregorio, Porvenir, Primavera, Timaukel, Cabo de Hornos and Antártica)	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	March 11, 2014	March 11, 2022

See also

• President of the Senate of Chile


• National Congress of Chile


• Chamber of Deputies of Chile


• Politics of Chile


• List of legislatures by country

Notes

External links

• Senate of Chile Official web site


• Article from the Economist dealing with the Senate composition