Camila Vallejo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vallejo and the second or maternal family name is Dowling.

Camila Vallejo
Vallejo in 2024
Minister General Secretariat of Government
In office
11 March 2022 – 23 December 2024
PresidentGabriel Boric
Preceded byJaime Bellolio
Succeeded byAisén Etcheverry (acting)[n 1]
Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
In office
11 March 2018 – 11 March 2022
Preceded byDistrict established
Succeeded byDaniela Serrano
ConstituencyDistrict 12
In office
11 March 2014 – 11 March 2018
Preceded byCarlos Montes Cisternas
Succeeded byDistrict dissolved
ConstituencyDistrict 26 of the Santiago Metropolitan Region
President of the University of Chile Student Federation
In office
24 November 2010 – 16 November 2011
Preceded byJulio Sarmiento
Succeeded byScarlett Mac-Ginty (acting)
Gabriel Boric
Personal details
Born (1988-04-28) 28 April 1988
Santiago, Chile
PartyCommunist
Spouse
Abel Zicavo
​
(m. 2023)​
Domestic partnerJulio Sarmiento (2011–2016)
Children2
Residence(s)La Florida, Chile
Alma materUniversity of Chile
ProfessionGeographer

Camila Antonia Amaranta Vallejo Dowling (Spanish: [kaˈmila anˈtonja amaˈɾanta βaˈʝexo ˈðawlin]; born 28 April 1988) is a Chilean geographer, politician, and former student leader. A prominent member of the Communist Party of Chile, she serves as the Minister General Secretariat of Government under President Gabriel Boric, a role she has held since March 2022, making her the government's chief spokesperson. She previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies for District 26 (2014–2018) and later District 12 (2018–2022).

Vallejo rose to national prominence as a leading figure in the 2011 student protests, during which she served as president of the University of Chile Student Federation (FECh) and spokesperson for the Confederation of Chilean Students (Confech). Her role in the protests earned her international recognition, with The New York Times Magazine dubbing her "the world's most glamorous revolutionary".[1] She is widely regarded as one of the most influential communist figures in 21st-century Chile and is often seen as the symbolic successor to the late communist leader Gladys Marín.[2][3]

Early life and education

Camila Vallejo was born in Santiago to Reinaldo Vallejo and Mariela Dowling, both committed members of the Communist Party of Chile and activists who opposed the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.[4] Her father worked as an actor and independently sold and installed heating appliances, while her mother was a homemaker.[5] Vallejo has notable political ancestry; she is the great-great-grandniece of Marmaduke Grove Vallejo, a socialist military officer and politician, and the great-granddaughter of Jorge Dowling Desmadryl, who served as a deputy.[6]

Raised in the communes of Macul and La Florida, where she still lives, Vallejo attended the private Colegio Raimapu in La Florida. She enrolled at the University of Chile in 2006 to study geography, graduating in July 2013 with a thesis titled Social Construction of Vulnerable Territories: The Social Geography of Risk in Concepción, Talcahuano, Hualpén and San Pedro de la Paz, which received the highest distinction.[7] During her university years, she became involved in leftist politics and joined the Communist Youth of Chile in 2007.[8] In 2021, she commenced a master's degree in government, public policy, and territories at the University Alberto Hurtado, which she put on hold upon her appointment as a minister in March 2022.[9]

Student activism and rise to prominence

Vallejo's political career began in student governance. She served as a counselor for the University of Chile Student Federation (FECh) in 2008 and as vice-president of the Geography Student Center. In November 2010, she was elected president of the FECh, becoming only the second woman to lead the 105-year-old student union.[10][11]

She emerged as a national figure and a leading spokesperson during the widespread 2011 student protests, which demanded profound reforms to Chile's education system. Alongside other leaders like Giorgio Jackson and Gabriel Boric, she became a face of the movement, articulating its critique of education as a commodity and advocating for its recognition as a social right.[12] Her high profile also made her a target; in August 2011, the Supreme Court of Chile ordered police protection for her after she received death threats.[10][13]

In December 2011, she lost her re-election bid for the FECh presidency to Gabriel Boric but, as the most-voted candidate on her list, assumed the vice-presidency until November 2012.[14]

Parliamentary career (2014–2022)

In November 2012, the Communist Party nominated Vallejo as a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies in the 2013 general election. Despite earlier reservations about campaigning for Michelle Bachelet, she later supported the Socialist candidate after the Communist Party aligned with her coalition.[15]

She was elected in a landslide, representing District 26 of La Florida with over 43% of the vote, becoming the youngest member of parliament.[16] She was part of a group of former student leaders in Congress, known as the "student bench" (bancada estudiantil), which included Boric, Jackson, and Karol Cariola, and was instrumental in debates on educational reform.[17]

During her first term, she served on the permanent commissions for Environment and Natural Resources; Science and Technology; and Education, later becoming president of the Education Commission in March 2015.[18]

In 2016, she was implicated in a scandal involving plagiarized parliamentary advisory reports paid to a Communist Party think tank. Vallejo condemned the lack of rigor, terminated the contract, and became the only parliamentarian to commit to repaying the funds, stating she felt "betrayed" and would take responsibility.[19][20]

Vallejo has been vocal in her criticism of Israel, which she has described as "a terrorist State that seeks the displacement and extermination of Palestinians," framing the conflict as a "genocide" rather than a war.[21]

She was re-elected in the 2017 general election for the new District 12. As a deputy, she focused on education, gender equality, and was a key proponent of legislation to reduce the working week to 40 hours.[22]

During the 2021 presidential election, Vallejo initially served as a spokesperson for Communist Party nominee Daniel Jadue in the primary race. After Jadue lost the primary to Gabriel Boric, she became a key figure in Boric's successful general election campaign. In August 2021, she announced she would not seek a third term as deputy.[23]

Minister of Government (2022–present)

Following Gabriel Boric's election victory, Vallejo was appointed Minister General Secretariat of Government in January 2022, becoming the official spokesperson for his administration and the first member of the Communist Party to hold this portfolio.[24] She assumed office on 11 March 2022.

As government spokeswoman, she has been a staunch defender of the administration's agenda, including its social recovery plans, pension reform, tax reform, and security policies.[25] She campaigned for the approval of a new progressive constitution in the 2022 referendum, though the proposal was rejected by voters.[26]

In August 2023, she met with a visiting delegation of U.S. Democratic congressmembers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and joined calls for the U.S. government to apologize for its role in the 1973 coup that brought General Pinochet to power.[27]

Her tenure has involved navigating internal coalition tensions and opposition criticism.[28] In 2024, she publicly criticized companies Enel and Huachipato, stating that "some companies have left much to be desired" in terms of their social and environmental responsibility.[29]

Prenatal leave and return

In August 2024, Vallejo announced her second pregnancy.[30] She began her prenatal leave on 30 December 2024, with her duties subrogated to the Minister of Science, Aisén Etcheverry.[31] She gave birth to a son in February 2025[32] and returned to her role as government spokesperson on 2 July 2025.[33]

Political profile and public image

Vallejo identifies as an atheist.[34] She is frequently described in the media as the most significant Communist personality in 21st-century Chile and a symbolic successor to Gladys Marín.[2][3]

Her prominence during the 2011 protests garnered international media attention. She was featured on the cover of the German weekly Die Zeit,[35] and was voted "Person of the Year" in a 2011 readers' poll by The Guardian.[36] She was included in Time magazine's "100 People Who Mattered" list in 2011 and Newsweek's "150 Fearless Women" in 2012.[37][38] In 2012, a collection of her writings, Podemos Cambiar el Mundo ("We Can Change the World"), was published.

Not all assessments have been positive. Historian Gabriel Salazar controversially suggested she should leave the Communist Party if she were "intelligent enough" and referred to her as the new caudillo of the party.[39]

Personal life

In April 2013, Vallejo announced she was expecting her first child with Julio Sarmiento, a fellow Communist Youth leader and her partner since 2011.[40] Their daughter, Adela, was born on 6 October 2013.[41]

Vallejo and Sarmiento separated in 2016. She later began a relationship with musician Abel Zicavo, whom she married in 2023. In August 2024, the couple announced they were expecting their second child, a son, who was born in February 2025.[42][43]

Published works

  • Vallejo, Camila. Podemos cambiar el mundo. 2012. ISBN 9781921700477.[44]

In 2013, the American punk band Desaparecidos, fronted by Conor Oberst, released the song "Te amo Camilla Vallejo" in tribute to her role in the student movement. The track was included on their 2015 album Payola.[45]

Awards and recognition

See also

Notes

  1. ^ On pre- and postnatal leave from December 2024 to July 2025.

References

  1. ^ Goldman, Francisco (5 April 2012). "Camilla Vallejo, the World's Most Glamorous Revolutionary". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "El Partido Comunista y su recambio generacional: Karol Cariola, Camila Vallejo y Camilo Ballesteros encabezan el "comunismo joven"" [The Communist Party and its generational replacement: Karol Cariola, Camila Vallejo and Camilo Ballesteros lead "young communism"]. CNN Chile (in Spanish). 3 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Francisco Vidal sobre Camila Vallejo: "Es la Gladys Marín del Siglo XXI"" [Francisco Vidal on Camila Vallejo: "She is the Gladys Marín of the 21st Century"]. El Dínamo (in Spanish). 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011.
  4. ^ Olivares, Marisol (12 February 2012). "Reinaldo Vallejo saca la voz" [Reinaldo Vallejo raises his voice]. La Tercera (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  5. ^ "One Woman's Path From Radical Student Activist to Politician". Teen Vogue. September 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Vallejo antes de Vallejo". La Tercera (in Spanish). 30 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Camila Vallejo se tituló de geógrafa con distinción máxima" [Camila Vallejo Graduated as a Geographer with the Highest Distinction]. La Nación (in Spanish). 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014.
  8. ^ Aldea, Sofía (16 May 2011). "Compañera Camila". Revista Paula (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Gobierno de Chile: Ministerio Secretaría General de Gobierno" (in Spanish). 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b Franklin, Jonathan (24 August 2011). "Chile's Commander Camila, the student who can shut down a city". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Militante comunista Camila Vallejo es la nueva presidenta FECh" [Communist militant Camila Vallejo is the new FECh president]. La Nación (in Spanish). 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Camila Vallejo: El discurso de Piñera fue una gran decepción y un retroceso" [Camila Vallejo: Piñera's speech was a great disappointment and a setback]. Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  13. ^ Ayala C., Leslie (23 August 2011). "Corte Suprema acoge amparo a favor de Camila Vallejo y ordena rondas policiales" [Supreme Court accepts protection in favor of Camila Vallejo and orders police patrols]. El Mercurio (in Spanish).
  14. ^ "Camila Vallejo, Chile's iconic student leader, loses election". The Santiago Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  15. ^ "Camila Vallejo (PC): Apoyar a Bachelet "no fue fácil, pero es la única que puede desplazar a la derecha"" [Camila Vallejo (PC): Supporting Bachelet "was not easy, but she is the only one who can move to the right"]. La Segunda (in Spanish). 14 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Chile's ex-student leaders march their way to congressional victory". Reuters. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  17. ^ "El primer año de "la bancada estudiantil"". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Reseñas biografícas parlamentarias; Camila Vallejo Dowling" (in Spanish). Library of the National Congress of Chile. 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Asesorías parlamentarias: al menos 40 diputados pagaron por informes plagiados" [Parliamentary advisory services: at least 40 deputies paid for plagiarized reports]. CIPER Chile (in Spanish). 7 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  20. ^ Borcoski, Nicolás (8 September 2017). "El mea culpa de Camila Vallejo por informes plagiados: "me fallaron, me hago cargo"" [Camila Vallejo's mea culpa for plagiarized reports: "they failed me, I take responsibility"]. La Nación. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  21. ^ "Camila Vallejo: Palestina en el corazón" [Camila Vallejo: Palestine in the heart]. diarioUChile (in Spanish). 9 August 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  22. ^ Nogales Toledo, David (24 October 2019). "40 horas: Camila Vallejo defiende su proyecto en el Congreso y las emprende contra ministro Monckeberg". La Tercera. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Camila Vallejo no buscará un tercer periodo como diputada" [Camila Vallejo will not seek a third term as deputy]. Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 15 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  24. ^ Said, Carlos (21 January 2022). "Quién es Camila Vallejo, la nueva ministra vocera de gobierno de Gabriel Boric" [Who is Camila Vallejo, the new government spokesperson minister of Gabriel Boric]. La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  25. ^ Munita, Ignacia (2 July 2022). "Ministra Vallejo por reforma tributaria: "No se trata de ir en contra de quienes tienen más, sino que a favor del desarrollo del país"" [Minister Vallejo on tax reform: "It's not about going against those who have more, but in favor of the country's development"]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Plebiscito: Chile rechaza propuesta de nueva Constitución con histórica participación de más de 12 millones de personas" [Plebiscite: Chile rejects new constitution proposal with historic participation of more than 12 million people]. La Tercera. 4 September 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  27. ^ "AOC urges US to apologize for meddling in Latin America: 'We're here to reset relationships'". The Guardian. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  28. ^ Carrasco, Rodolfo (8 March 2024). "La ministra Camila Vallejo ante los dos años de Gobierno: "Siempre es más fácil ser oposición"" [Minister Camila Vallejo on the two years of Government: "It's always easier to be in opposition"]. Diario Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  29. ^ Sandoval, Gustavo Donat (7 August 2024). "Ministra Vallejo se lanza contra Enel y Huachipato: "Algunas empresas han dejado mucho que desear"" [Minister Vallejo launches against Enel and Huachipato: "Some companies have left much to be desired"]. Biobío Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  30. ^ S, Rodrigo Gómez (1 August 2024). "Ministra Camila Vallejo anuncia su embarazo a través de redes sociales". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  31. ^ "Ministra Vallejo inicia este lunes su prenatal: retomaría la vocería en julio de 2025". Diario UChile (in Spanish). 23 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  32. ^ S.A.P, El Mercurio (7 February 2025). "Nace hijo de Camila Vallejo y Abel Zicavo: "Fue un proceso largo e intenso"". Emol (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Ministra Vallejo retoma la vocería de Gobierno tras su postnatal: "Vamos a trabajar incansablemente para seguir cumpliendo a Chile"". 9 July 2025.
  34. ^ "Con Biblia en mano: Camila Vallejo (PC) explica por qué no invoca a Dios en las sesiones" [Bible in hand: Camila Vallejo (PC) explains why she does not invoke God in sessions]. Biobiochile.cl. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  35. ^ "Diario alemán dedica portada a Camila Vallejo" [German newspaper dedicates cover to Camila Vallejo]. La Segunda (in Spanish). 18 August 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  36. ^ "The Guardian readers vote Chile's student leader Person of the Year". Reuters. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  37. ^ Padgett, Tim (14 December 2011). "Chile's Student Protesters - Person of the Year 2011". Time. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  38. ^ Cadel, Stéphanie (March 2012). "150 Women Who Shake The World". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012.
  39. ^ "Gabriel Salazar, Premio Nacional de Historia: "Si Camila Vallejo es inteligente debe abandonar el PC"". El Mercurio de Calama (in Spanish). 17 June 2012. p. 46. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  40. ^ "Camila Vallejo está embarazada" [Camila Vallejo is pregnant]. Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 12 February 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  41. ^ "Nació bebé de Camila Vallejo: Fue niña y pesó 3 kilos 355 gramos" [Camila Vallejo's baby was born: She was a girl and weighed 3 kilos 355 grams]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 6 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  42. ^ S, Rodrigo Gómez (1 August 2024). "Ministra Camila Vallejo anuncia su embarazo a través de redes sociales". La Tercera. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  43. ^ Fonseca, Hernán (17 September 2024). "Camila Vallejo tendrá su propia "parejita": ministra reveló el sexo de su bebé". Diario La Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  44. ^ "Presentan libro "Podemos cambiar el mundo" de la ex presidenta de la Fech Camila Vallejo" [Book "We Can Change the World" by former FECh president Camila Vallejo presented]. Radio Universidad de Chile (in Spanish). 9 January 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  45. ^ Reed, Ryan (6 April 2015). "Conor Oberst Plots New LP With Revived Punk Band". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  46. ^ "Person of the year 2011 - your vote". Guardian.co.uk. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  47. ^ "Camila Vallejo recibió reconocimiento en Noruega como "líder estudiantil mundial"" [Camila Vallejo received recognition in Norway as "world student leader"]. Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 17 March 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  48. ^ "Chile's student leaders to receive international human rights award". Santiago Times. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  49. ^ "Camila Vallejo, Miembro Honorífico de la UNLP" [Camila Vallejo, Honorary Member of the UNLP] (in Spanish). Universidad Nacional de La Plata. 12 June 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  50. ^ "Agencia internacional de noticias elige a los 10 personajes del año e incluye a Camila Vallejo" [International news agency chooses the 10 characters of the year and includes Camila Vallejo]. La Tercera. AFP. 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  51. ^ "Premian a las 100 mujeres líderes que se destacaron en 2022" [The 100 women leaders who stood out in 2022 are awarded]. Emol (in Spanish). 30 November 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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