Senate of Chile


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 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 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 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 It functioned from October, 1818 to May, 1822.

Election cycles

Key to Senate classes by regions:
-the 23 current senators whose seats expire in March 2026.
-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

ConstituencyRegionClassSenatorNamePolitical GroupPartyPrior Public Office/PositionEducationAssumed OfficeTerm Expires
1Arica and Parinacota
Tarapacá		1Fulvio RossiNew MajorityPSDeputy District 2° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
1Arica and Parinacota
Tarapacá		1Jaime OrpisChile VamosIndependentDeputy District 25° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2002March 11, 2018
2Antofagasta2Pedro ArayaNew MajorityDCDeputy District 4° University of AntofagastaMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
2Antofagasta2Alejandro GuillierNew MajorityNew Majority's independentsJournalist and television reporterCatholic University of the NorthMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
3Atacama1Isabel AllendeNew MajorityPSDeputy District 29° University of ChileMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
3Atacama1Baldo ProkuricaChile VamosRNDeputy District 6° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2002March 11, 2018
4Coquimbo2Adriana MuñozNew MajorityPPDDeputy by District 9° University of Chile
University of Vienna		March 11, 2014March 11, 2022
4Coquimbo2Jorge PizarroNew MajorityDCDeputy by District 8° University of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
5Valparaíso Cordillera1Ignacio WalkerNew MajorityDCForeign Minister during the government of Ricardo LagosUniversity of Chile
Princeton University		March 11, 2010March 11, 2018
5Valparaíso Cordillera1Lily PérezOut of pactAmplitudeDeputy District 38° University of the Pacific
Gabriela Mistral University		March 11, 2010March 11, 2018
6Valparaíso Coast1Ricardo Lagos WeberNew MajorityPPDGeneral Secretariat of Government minister during the government of Michelle BacheletUniversity of Chile
University of Sussex		March 11, 2010March 11, 2018
6Valparaíso Coast1Francisco ChahuánChile VamosRNDeputy District 14° University of ValparaísoMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
7Santiago West2Guido GirardiNew MajorityPPDDeputy District 18° University of ChileMarch 11, 2006March 11, 2022
7Santiago West2Andrés AllamandChile VamosRNDefense Minister under President Sebastián PiñeraUniversity of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
8Santiago East2Manuel José OssandónChile VamosIndependentMayor of Puente AltoInacapMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
8Santiago East2Carlos MontesNew MajorityPSDeputy District 26° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
9O'Higgins2Juan Pablo LetelierNew MajorityPSDeputy District 33° Georgetown UniversityMarch 11, 2006March 11, 2022
9O'Higgins2Alejandro García-HuidobroChile VamosUDIDeputy District 32° University of ChileAugust 2, 2011March 11, 2022
10Maule North1Andrés ZaldívarNew MajorityDCInterior Minister during the government of Michelle BacheletUniversity of ChileMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
10Maule North1Juan Antonio ColomaChile VamosUDIDeputy District 31° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2002March 11, 2018
11Maule South1Manuel MattaNew MajorityDCAmbassador of Chile in El SalvadorUniversity of ChileMay 7, 2014March 11, 2018
11Maule South1Hernán LarraínChile VamosUDINo previous public officePontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 1994March 11, 2018
12Biobío Coast2Alejandro NavarroNew MajorityMASDeputy District 45° University of ConcepciónMarch 11, 2006March 11, 2022
12Biobío Coast2Jacqueline Van RysselbergheChile VamosUDIIntendant of the Bío Bío RegionUniversity of ConcepciónMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
13Biobío Cordillera2Felipe HarboeNew MajorityPPDDeputy District 22° Central University of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
13Biobío Cordillera2Víctor PérezChile VamosUDIDeputy District 47° University of ConcepciónMarch 11, 2006March 11, 2022
14Araucanía North1Jaime QuintanaNew MajorityPPDDeputy District 49° Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
University of La Frontera		March 11, 2010March 11, 2018
14Araucanía North1Alberto EspinaChile VamosRNDeputy District 21° University of ChileMarch 11, 2002March 11, 2018
15Araucanía South1Eugenio TumaNew MajorityPPDDeputy District 51° University of ChileMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
15Araucanía South1José García RuminotChile VamosRNDeputy District 50° Higher Institute of TradeMarch 11, 2002March 11, 2018
16Los Ríos2Alfonso De UrrestiNew MajorityPSDeputy District 53° University of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
16Los Ríos2Ena von BaerChile VamosUDISenator for Constituency 8Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
RWTH Aachen University		March 11, 2014March 11, 2022
17Los Lagos2Rabindranath QuinterosNew MajorityPSMayor of Puerto MonttUniversity of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
17Los Lagos2Iván MoreiraChile VamosUDIDeputy District 27° Luis Alberto Barrera High School, Punta ArenasMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022
18Aysén1Antonio HorvathIndependentIndependentDeputy District 59° University of ChileMarch 11, 1994March 11, 2018
18Aysén1Patricio WalkerNew MajorityDCDeputy by District 8° Diego Portales UniversityMarch 11, 2010March 11, 2018
19Magallanes2Carlos BianchiOut of pactDRPCouncillor of Punta ArenasLuis Alberto Barrera High School, Punta ArenasMarch 11, 2006March 11, 2022
19Magallanes2Carolina GoicNew MajorityDCDeputy District 60° Pontifical Catholic University of ChileMarch 11, 2014March 11, 2022