Cristian Letelier

Cristián Letelier
Head of the Constitutional Court
Assumed office
24 March 2022
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
1 March 2011 – 11 March 2014
Preceded byGonzalo Uriarte
Succeeded byJuan Antonio Coloma Álamos
Constituency31st District
Personal details
Born (1954-05-18) 18 May 1954
PartyIndependent Democratic Union (UDI)
Alma materPontifical Catholic University of Chile (LL.B)
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer

Cristian Omar Letelier Aguilar (born 18 May 1954) is a Chilean politician who served as deputy.[1][2]

Biography

He was born on 18 May 1954.[3] He is married.[3]

Professional career

He holds a Licentiate in Legal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.[3] He obtained a diploma in Criminal Procedure Law from the University of the Andes in 2003 and a diploma in Criminal Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile between 2005 and 2008.[3] He pursued a Master’s degree in Criminal Policy at the University of Salamanca (c).[3]

Between 1983 and 1990, he served as Secretary General and Legal Advisor of the Catholic University of the North.[3] From 1990 to 1994, he worked as a lawyer for Banco BCI, the Ministry of Planning, and companies in the mining sector.[3]

Between 1994 and 1999, he was a lawyer for the National Mining Society of Chile (Sonami).[3] From 1999 to May 2004, he served as Secretary General of Santo Tomás University.[3] Between 2004 and 2005, he worked at the law firm Hermosilla, Chadwick & Morales as a criminal defense attorney.[3]

Since 2006, he has practiced law independently in the field of Criminal Law.[3] He has taught Civil Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Finis Terrae University, University of the Americas, and Santo Tomás University, where he lectured in Family Law.[3]

He is the author of several publications in the Revista Chilena de Derecho of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and in the journal Ius Publicum of Santo Tomás University.[3]

Political career

He entered politics during his university years.[3] Between 1986 and 1987, he served as president of the Federation of Students of Diego Portales University.[3] The following year and until 1991, he chaired the Youth of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).[3] Concurrently, and until 2000, he was coordinator of the UDI Senators’ Committee.[3]

He was a member of the Independent Democratic Union until 2013 and served on its political commission.[3] In 2009, he ran as a candidate for senator for the Atacama Region but was not elected.[3]

He served as legislative advisor to Senators Evelyn Matthei and Víctor Pérez Varela.[3] He was Director of the Diario Oficial de la República de Chile between January 2010 and February 2011.[3]

For the parliamentary elections of November 2013, he decided not to seek re-election for a new term.[3]

He served as Minister of the Constitutional Court of Chile from 12 January 2015 to 12 January 2024.[3]

References

  1. ^ "El controvertido perfil de Cristián Letelier, el integrante del TC que incomoda a la Fiscalía". El Mostrador. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Involucrado en el Caso Penta y abogado de agentes de la dictadura: el perfil de Cristián Letelier, nuevo presidente del Tribunal Constitucional". RedGol. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "Cristián Omar Letelier Aguilar". Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-15.