Mario Desbordes

Mario Guillermo Desbordes Jiménez (born 15 October 1968) is a Chilean politician and former police officer of Carabineros de Chile. He became the Minister of Defense in July 2020.

Mario Desbordes
Minister of Defense
In office
20 July 2020 – 18 December 2020
PresidentSebastián Piñera
Preceded byAlberto Espina
Succeeded byBaldo Prokurica
Deputy of the Republic
In office
11 March 2018 – 28 July 2018
Preceded byCreation of the charge
Succeeded byCamilo Morán
Constituency8th District
President of Renovación Nacional
In office
10 March 2018 – 20 July 2021
Preceded byCristián Monckeberg
Succeeded byFrancisco Chahuán
Personal details
Born (1968-10-15) 15 October 1968
Santiago, Chile
Political partyRenovación Nacional (2000–)
Alma materUniversidad La República
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer
Police officer

Desbordes previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies in Congress and was the president of National Renewal from 2018 to 2020. He also held the position of Secretary-General of his political party from 2010 to 2018 and was Undersecretary of Investigations during President Sebastián Piñera's first administration.

Known for his "social right-wing" project,[1][2][3] Desbordes played a key role in the agreement for a plebiscite towards a new constitution[4] to replace the 1980 Constitution in 2019. After the agreement, he announced to the press that he would vote "Approve" for a new constitution[5][6][7] in the entry plebiscite held on October 25, 2020.[8] However, two years later, he chose the "Reject" option in the exit plebiscite due to his dissatisfaction with the proposal from the Constitutional Convention.[9]

In July 2021, Desbordes finished last in a four-way primary for the Chile Vamos coalition, ending his bid for the presidency.[10]

Biography

Early life

Born in 1968, Desbordes spent part of his childhood in Los Andes, his native town. Then, he moved to Santiago, Chile's capital city, where he lived in La Cisterna commune until 1986. He completed his elementary school education at E–556 public school of that commune, and finished the high school at A–109 Lycée in El Bosque commune.[11]

Political career
Mario Desbordes signs in front of President Sebastián Piñera the decree which names him Minister of Defense of Chile in July 2020.

In 2000, he joined to his party: Renovación Nacional (RN; National Renewal).

Piñera's first term: 2010–2014

In 2010, Desbordes became RN's General Secretary after a caretaker period of Cecilia Pérez,[12] who replaced him until he finished his services as Undersecretary of Invesgation[12] on 23 November.

Piñera's second term: 2018–2022

On 9 January 2020, he participated on a seminar about characteristics and the future of the Chilean right-wing alongside Jacqueline van Rysselberghe and Hernán Larraín Matte.[13]

On 12 March 2020, it was reported by Interferencia newspaper that Desbordes received threats from libertarian[14] far–right leader Sebastián Izquierdo, who called him as a «coward rightist».[15]

On 28 July 2020, he resigned to his charge of deputy after accepting the proposal of the President Piñera about appointing him as Minister of Defense of Chile.[16][17]

On 23 January 2021, he was proclaimed by his party as candidate for the primaries presidential elections of the coalition.[18][19][20][21] On 18 July, he was defeated[22] after finishing in the last place (fourth) behind Ignacio Briones (Evópoli), Joaquín Lavín (UDI) and Sebastián Sichel (Independent).

Political thought

He has declared being a socialchristian rightist[23] and having as his references to the socialchristianism of Angela Merkel and the politics of the Spanish Popular Party.[1]

On more than one occasion he has been critical to the subsidiary positions from allies or key leaders of the party Independent Democratic Union («UDI»), like ―for example― the independent economist Cristián Larroulet[24] or the senator van Rysselberghe (UDI).[25] According to French sociologist Stéphanie Alenda, the reason of these frictions have relation with the «solidarity» endorsed by Desbordes' social right.[26] These differences have stirred up criticism from politicians of his own party like Carlos Larraín[27] and Andrés Allamand,[28] both from RN's conservative factions which have opined that Desbordes would leading to the party towards left-wing politics[27] because two reasons: 1) his support to a new constitution,[29] and 2) his coincidence with positions of the Humanist Party respect to the retirement of AFP's 10% funds.[28]

One of Desbordes' intellectual referents is the philosopher Hugo Eduardo Herrera,[30][31] who ―however― doesn't recognize himself as his theoretical.[32]

Personal life

He is fan of Colo-Colo,[33] most successful team in the history of football in Chile.[34]

References
  1. Hansen, Hans (August 9, 2020). "Desbordes defiende la "derecha social" y compara RN con el PP español o Merkel en Alemania". Infogate.cl (in Spanish). Infogate. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  2. "Diputados RN postulan a Desbordes como carta presidencial de la "derecha social"". Elmostrador.cl (in Spanish). El Mostrador. August 14, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  3. "La derecha social". Infogate.cl (in Spanish). Infogate. January 21, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  4. "Desbordes (RN) afirma que "hay uno o dos días" para alcanzar una salida a la crisis y que no descarta "un plebiscito" para definir el mecanismo constituyente". Latercera.cl (in Spanish). La Tercera. November 13, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  5. "Mario Desbordes: "Muchas personas de centroderecha votamos por el Apruebo"". Elmostrador.cl (in Spanish). El Mostrador. October 26, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  6. "Celebrations as Chile approves historic constitutional reform". The Santiago Times. October 25, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  7. "A new Constitution for Chile: result of a plebiscite on 25 October 2020". Lexology. October 25, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  8. "Ya es oficial: Plebiscito Nacional se realizará este 25 de octubre". Servel.cl (in Spanish). Servicio Electoral de Chile. March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  9. "Mario Desbordes: "Estoy con el proceso constituyente, pero este texto es muy malo, tengo que rechazar"" (in Spanish). La Tercera. July 12, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  10. "Political Risk Back on Radar in Emerging-Market Currency Trades". Bloomberg.com. July 18, 2021.
  11. "Ministerio de Defensa Nacional de Chile: Biografía Ministro". Defensa.cl. Ministry of Defense of Chile. June 28, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  12. "Designan a Cecilia Pérez como secretaria general interina de Renovación Nacional". Estreiquique.cl (in Spanish). La Estrella de Iquique. August 30, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  13. "[EN VIVO]: Van Rysselberghe, Desbordes y Larraín se encuentran tras crisis de Chile Vamos". T13.cl (in Spanish). Canal 13. January 9, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  14. "El delirante argumento del aspirante a político que defiende la colusión". El Mostrador. October 30, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. Huenchumil, Paula (March 12, 2020). "La noche en que Sebastián Izquierdo atacó la sede de RN". Interferencia.cl (in Spanish). Interferencia. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  16. "Cambio de gabinete: Mario Desbordes es el nuevo ministro de Defensa" (in Spanish). Diario de Concepción. July 28, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  17. "Nuevo Ministro de Defensa Nacional, Mario Desbordes". Capredena.gob.cl (in Spanish). Capredena. July 28, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  18. "Consejo General de RN proclama a Mario Desbordes como su candidato presidencial". Pauta.cl (in Spanish). Radio Pauta. January 23, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  19. "Mario Desbordes es proclamado como candidato presidencial de RN" (in Spanish). CNN Chile. January 24, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  20. "¿Fin de la tensión en RN? Mario Desbordes es proclamado como el abanderado del partido para la primaria presidencial oficialista" (in Spanish). La Tercera. January 23, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  21. "Consejo General de RN proclama a Mario Desbordes como su candidato presidencial". T13.cl (in Spanish). Canal 13. January 23, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  22. "Mario Desbordes reconoce triunfo de Sichel: "Ponemos a disposición de Sebastián este proyecto"". July 18, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  23. "Mario Desbordes se define: "Soy socialcristiano"". Oasisfm.cl (in Spanish). Radio Oasis. January 6, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  24. "Desbordes apunta directamente a Larroulet: "El Segundo Piso tiene su candidato. Lo que tiene que hacer es no meterse"". Elmostrador.cl (in Spanish). El Mostrador. January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  25. "Desbordes cuestiona a JVR tras decisión UDI de suspender participación en Chile Vamos: "Hemos cumplido el acuerdo, y con harto esfuerzo, para darle en el gusto a ella"". Latercera.cl (in Spanish). La Tercera. December 20, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  26. "Transformaciones y continuidades: las sensibilidades de la derecha chilena". Ciper.cl (in Spanish). Ciper. August 15, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  27. "Carlos Larraín: "Mario Desbordes está llevando Renovación Nacional a la izquierda"" (in Spanish). Radio Agricultura. July 24, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  28. "Andrés Allamand se descargó contra Mario Desbordes: "Abrió una puerta que luego no fue capaz de cerrar"" (in Spanish). El Desconcierto. July 22, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  29. "Carlos Larraín no perdona a Desbordes: "Lo que le reprocho es que haya echado abajo la Constitución"" (in Spanish). El Mostrador. January 22, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  30. "El pensamiento de Hugo Herrera, referente intelectual de Mario Desbordes". Nuevopoder.cl (in Spanish). Nuevo Poder. December 26, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  31. "Ideólogo de Renovación Nacional: "El Presidente puede destacar su identidad RN orientando su gobierno con una visión política antes que económica"" (in Spanish). El Líbero. May 5, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  32. "Hugo Herrera: "Lavín tiene destellos geniales, pero Desbordes tiene clara la tarea de la política"". Latercera.cl (in Spanish). La Tercera. December 26, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  33. "Desde el mundo de la política también vibran con la promoción de Colo Colo" (in Spanish). Publimetro. February 17, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  34. "¿Cuántos títulos tiene Colo Colo?" (in Spanish). Goal.com. January 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
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