María José Gatica Bertin (born 15 April 1984) is a Chilean political figure and

businesswoman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

. She has represented the

Los Ríos Region The Los Ríos Region (Spanish: ''Región de Los Ríos'', , ''Region of the Rivers'') is one of Chile's 16 regions, the country's first-order administrative divisions. Its capital is Valdivia. It began to operate as a region on October 2, 20 ...

in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

since 2022, after previously serving as a regional councilor for the same region between 2014 and 2021. A member of the centre-right party Renovación Nacional (RN), she is known for her positions on public security, decentralization, and economic development in southern Chile. Gatica studied business administration at the

University of Los Lagos The University of Los Lagos () is a university in Chile. It is a derivative university part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. It currently operates various campuses: the main campus in Osorno, Chile, Osorno, and others in Ancud, Castro, Ch ...

, and later pursued specialization in local governance and public management. Before entering politics, she managed family enterprises in the tourism and service sectors in

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

, where she developed strong ties to local small and medium-sized businesses. Her political career began with grassroots activism and party work in RN during the early 2010s. In 2013, she was elected regional councilor for

, serving two terms (2014–2021), where she prioritized infrastructure, rural development, and improved healthcare access in isolated areas. In the

2021 Chilean general election General elections were held in Chile on 21 November 2021, including presidential, parliamentary and regional elections. Voters went to the polls to elect a President of Chile, president to serve a four-year term, 27 of 50 members of the Senate ...

, she won a seat in the Senate, becoming the first woman senator for her region.

Biography

María José Gatica was born on 15 November 1979 in

, capital of the

. She grew up in a middle-class family with strong roots in the local entrepreneurial and agricultural community. Her early life was marked by a strong interest in regional identity and community service, frequently participating in volunteer initiatives. She studied at the Commercial Institute of

before enrolling in the

, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration. She completed further training in public administration and territorial development, and worked independently in the service industry before entering politics.

Political career

Gatica's political involvement began through the youth wing of Renovación Nacional and later as a party organizer in

. Her work in regional development led her to run for the Regional Council of Los Ríos, winning with strong support in rural communes. During her tenure as regional councilor (2014–2021), she became known for her advocacy in favor of decentralized investment, particularly in connectivity, drinking water projects, and education access. She also served as vice-president of RN at the regional level, contributing to policy coordination between local authorities and national leadership. In 2021, she ran for the

and was elected with broad support, becoming the first woman to represent

in the upper chamber. Her legislative priorities have included regional equity, police reform with a focus on rural security, and support for entrepreneurs in southern Chile. She has also advocated for permanent financing of firefighting services and promoted bills for improving road safety in rural territories. She serves on the Senate commissions for

Public Safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...

, Environment, and

Decentralization Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those related to planning and decision-making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group and gi ...

, and is an active proponent of constitutional recognition for regional rights.

References

External links

BCN Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatica, María José 1984 births Living people Austral University of Chile alumni National Renewal (Chile) politicians Senators of the LVI Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile 21st-century Chilean women politicians Politicians from Montevideo