The Radical Party of Chile (Spanish: Partido Radical de Chile), is a classical radical political party in Chile. The party has also been referred to as liberal, social-liberal, and social-democratic.

The party is a member of Socialist International and participant in the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean.

History

The party was founded as the Social Democrat Radical Party (Partido Radical Socialdemócrata) on 18 August 1994 out of a union between the Radical Party and the Social Democracy Party, both of which had received poor results in the parliamentary elections. The party re-adopted its historic name in 2018.

The party supported Ricardo Lagos in the 1999–2000 presidential elections, who won 48.0% in the first round and was elected with 51.3% in the second round. At the 2001 legislative elections, the party won as part of the Concertación six out of 120 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and no seats in the Senate. This changed at the 2005 legislative elections to seven and one, respectively. In 2009, it won five congress seats and one senate seat.

Executive board

The current party executive assumed in August 2018.

PositionName
PresidentLeonardo Cubillos Ramírez
First Vice PresidentAlberto Robles MP
Second Vice PresidentMarcela Hernando
Third Vice PresidentFernando Meza MP
Vice President for WomenJacqueline Castillo
Secretary-GeneralMauricio Andrews
Under-secretary GeneralLeonardo Cubillos
Secretary for Control and OrganisationOscar Araya
TreasurerMario Perez
Secretary for RegionsEduardo Vivanco
Electoral SecretaryRosa Fuenzalida
International SecretaryRicardo Navarrete
Secretary for CommunicationsRobert Guevara

Leaders of the PR (1994–present)

LeaderTitles in officeTook officeLeft officeNotes
Anselmo SuleSenator for O'Higgins (until 1998)18 August 19947 June 2002 (died in office)First directly elected leader of the PRSD.
Orlando Cantuarias (acting)None7 June 200225 October 2002Acting leader after Sule's death
Patricio TomboliniUnder-Secretary for Transport25 October 20027 January 2003Second directly elected leader. Resigned after a Corruption scandal (Caso Coimas) as the First Deputy Leader.
Orlando Cantuarias (acting)None7 January 20033 April 2004Acting leader after Tombolini's resignation as the First Deputy Leader.
Augusto Parra (acting)Senator appointed by the President of Chile as a former chancellor of the University of Concepción3 April 200419 April 2004Appointed as Acting leader by the PRSD National Committee
Enrique Silva CimmaSenator appointed by the Comptroller General of Chile19 April 200428 February 2005Appointed as Leader by the PRSD National Committee
José Antonio Gómez UrrutiaSenator for Antofagasta28 February 200530 December 2009Third directly elected leader. Resigned after the 2009 Chilean parliamentary election
Fernando Meza (acting)MP for Toltén valley30 December 200921 January 2010Acting leader after Gomez's resignation as the First Deputy Leader.
José Antonio Gómez UrrutiaSenator for Antofagasta21 January 201015 March 2014Appointed as Leader by the PRSD National Committee
Ricardo Navarrete (acting)None15 March 201416 May 2014Acting leader after Gomez's resignation as the First Deputy Leader. He resigned to be Chilean ambassador in Colombia.
Iván Mesías Lehu (acting)None16 May 20144 August 2014Acting leader after Navarrete's resignation as the Second Deputy Leader.
Ernesto VelascoNone4 August 2014IncumbentFourth directly elected leader of the party.

Election results

Due to its membership in the Concert of Parties for Democracy, the party has endorsed the candidates of other parties on several occasions. Presidential elections in Chile are held using a two-round system, the results of which are displayed below.

Presidential elections

Elections for President of Chile
DateCandidatePartyRound IRound IIResult
%%
1999Ricardo LagosPPD48.051.3Victory
2005Michelle BacheletPS46.053.5Victory
2009Eduardo Frei Ruiz-TaglePDC29.648.4Defeat
2013Michelle BacheletPS46.762.2Victory
2017Alejandro GuillierIndependent22.745.4Defeat
2021Yasna ProvostePDC11.6Defeat
2025Jeannette JaraPCCh26.8541.84Defeat

See also

Attribution

External links