Jorge Quiroz
Jorge Quiroz | |
|---|---|
Quiroz in 2026 | |
| Ministry of Finance | |
| Assumed office 11 March 2026 | |
| President | José Antonio Kast |
| Preceded by | Nicolás Grau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 April 1962 Valparaíso, Chile |
| Alma mater |
|
| Profession | Economist |
Jorge Antonio Quiroz Castro (born 14 April 1962) is a Chilean economist, academic, and economic consultant. In 2026, he was appointed Minister of Finance by President José Antonio Kast.[1][2]
He is the founder of Quiroz & Asociados, a consultancy firm specializing in economic and financial analysis, regulatory matters, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He has also been involved in public policy debates and has served as an economic advisor in political campaigns.[3]
Although currently associated with liberal economic positions, Quiroz was an opponent of Augusto Pinochet's regime and voted «No» in the 1988 presidential referendum. He has stated that his political views were shaped through debates with his father, a left-wing academic, with whom he shared opposition to authoritarian rule.[3]
Biography
Quiroz was born in Valparaíso in 1962. He completed his primary education at the Deutsche Schule and Villa Alemana, and his secondary education at the Experimental School of the Federico Santa María Technical University (UTFSM) in Viña del Mar.
He developed an early interest in economics during adolescence, when he read Economics by Paul Samuelson. He later studied commercial engineering with a specialization in economics at the University of Chile, and subsequently earned a PhD in economics from Duke University in the United States.[3]
Professional career
After returning to Chile, Quiroz initially worked as an academic, including teaching economics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC). Colleagues from that period have noted that he openly opposed the military regime of Augusto Pinochet, and criticized human rights violations committed during the dictatorship.[3]
In the early 1990s, during Chile’s democratic transition, Quiroz shifted toward private-sector consulting. Approximately thirty years ago, he founded Quiroz & Asociados, a firm that advises companies on economic negotiations, tariff-setting processes, regulatory analysis, and mergers and acquisitions. The consultancy has become one of the most prominent economic advisory firms in Chile.[3]
Political career
In 2024, Quiroz became coordinator of the economic program for presidential candidate José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party. Prior to formally joining the campaign, he had held repeated discussions with Kast over more than a year regarding economic policy, during which Kast reviewed and commented on Quiroz’s policy reports.[3]
Before joining Kast’s campaign, Quiroz had worked on economic proposals for the presidential aspirations of Rodolfo Carter, a close associate. After Carter withdrew from the race, Quiroz joined Kast’s team. Within the campaign, he worked with a small group of economists, including a limited number of members from his consultancy.[3]
References
- ^ "Los directorios que dejan Jorge Quiroz, Fernando Barros y Daniel Mas ante su llegada al gobierno de Kast" (in Spanish). La Tercera. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ^ "Jorge Quiroz: de Villa Magisterio en Villa Alemana, al Ministerio de Hacienda en Teatinos 120". Radio Universidad de Valparaíso. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g "El estilo de Jorge Quiroz y cómo se convirtió en coordinador económico de Kast" (in Spanish). Ex-Ante. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2026.