José García Ruminot

José García Ruminot
Official portrait, 2022
Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency
Assumed office
11 March 2026
PresidentJosé Antonio Kast
Preceded byMacarena Lobos
President of the Senate of Chile
In office
19 March 2024 – 26 March 2025
Preceded byJuan Antonio Coloma Correa
Succeeded byManuel José Ossandón
Member of the Senate of Chile
In office
11 March 2002 – 11 March 2026
Constituency15th District (2002–2018)
11th District (2018–2026)
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
11 March 1990 – 11 March 2002
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byGermán Becker Alvear
Constituency3rd District
Mayor of Temuco
In office
23 June 1986 – 1 September 1989
Appointed byAugusto Pinochet
Preceded bySergio Nordenflycht
Succeeded byRené Araneda Amigo
Mayor of Lautaro
In office
22 November 1984 – 23 June 1986
Appointed byAugusto Pinochet
Preceded byMario Jorquera Rodríguez
Succeeded byMarta Sáenz Terpelle
Mayor of Toltén
In office
20 June 1980 – 1 January 1982
Appointed byAugusto Pinochet
Preceded byErnesto Lobos Virano
Succeeded byMiguel Becerra Espinoza
Personal details
Born (1955-05-22) 22 May 1955
Temuco, Chile
PartyRN (since 1989)
Other political
affiliations
PN (1970–1973)
SpouseDora Escobar
Children2
Alma materPontifical Catholic University of Chile
University of La Frontera
OccupationAccountantPolitician

José Gilberto García Ruminot (born 22 May 1955) is a Chilean politician and accountant who serves as Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency since 11 March 2026 during the presidency of José Antonio Kast.

He has served as member of the Senate of Chile.[1][2][3][4] On 19 March 2024, he was elected President of the Senate.[5]

Biography

He was born on 22 May 1955 in Temuco.[6] He is the son of Lorenzo Gilberto García Peña and Ondina Ruminot Leiva.[6]

He is married to Doralisa Matilde Escobar Altamirano and is the father of two daughters, Loreto and Consuelo.[6]

Professional career

He completed his primary education at the Instituto Claret de Temuco and his secondary education at the Instituto Superior de Comercio, where he obtained the professional qualification of General Accountant.[6] He later studied at the University of La Frontera, earning degrees as a Public Accountant and Auditor.[6]

He completed postgraduate studies in Socioeconomic Evaluation of Social Projects at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a diploma in Tax Management at the University of La Frontera in Temuco.[6]

Between 1975 and 1980, he worked as a professor of Accounting at the Instituto Superior de Comercio.[6] In 1980, he joined the University of La Frontera as a lecturer, a position he held until 1989.[6]

Political beginnings

He began his political activity in 1970 as a secondary student leader and member of the Youth of the National Party.[6] He later served as a university student leader until 1979.[6]

During the military government, he held several public positions. In 1980, he was appointed Mayor of Toltén.[6] Two years later, in 1982, he assumed the regional leadership of the Social Department of the Intendencia, where he was responsible for the creation of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Government, becoming the first individual to hold that position.[6]

In 1984, he was appointed Mayor of Lautaro.[6] Subsequently, on 23 June 1986, he assumed office as Mayor of Temuco, serving until 10 August 1989.[6]

In May 1989, he joined Renovación Nacional, where he served on several occasions as vice president of the party.[6]

Parliamentary career

Chamber of Deputies (1990–2002)

In the 1989 parliamentary elections, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Chile representing Renovación Nacional for District No. 50, corresponding to the commune of Temuco, for the 1990–1994 term.[6] He served on the Standing Committees on Interior Government, Regionalization, Planning and Social Development, and Finance, as well as on the Special Committees on the National Budget and Indigenous Peoples.[6]

He was re-elected in December 1993 for the 1994–1998 term, continuing his work on the Finance Committee and serving as a substitute member of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee.[6]

In December 1997, he secured a third re-election for the 1998–2002 legislative term.[6] During this period, he continued his work on the Finance Committee, served as head of the Renovación Nacional parliamentary caucus, and participated in the Chilean–German and Chilean–British Interparliamentary Groups.[6]

Senate (2002–2026)

In December 2001, he was elected to the Senate of Chile representing the Araucanía South constituency for the 2002–2010 term.[6] He chaired the Standing Committees on Economy, Promotion and Development, and on Transport and Telecommunications, and served on the Finance Committee, the Auditing Committee, and the Joint Special Committee on the Budget.[6]

In June 2002, President Ricardo Lagos appointed him as a member of the National Commission for the Development of Biotechnology.[6] In 2009, he was appointed President of the Inter-American Parliamentary Forum, an organization bringing together parliamentarians from finance and budget committees across the Americas, with technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank.[6]

He was re-elected senator in the December 2009 parliamentary elections for the 2010–2018 term, representing the Araucanía South constituency.[6] During this period, he chaired the Standing Committees on Economy and on Auditing, and served on the Committees on Finance, Agriculture, and the Joint Special Committee on the Budget.[6]

In November 2017, he was re-elected senator for the newly created 11th Senatorial Constituency, Araucanía Region, representing Renovación Nacional within the Chile Vamos coalition.[6] He obtained 33,493 votes, corresponding to 9.92% of the valid votes cast, and assumed office on 11 March 2018.[6]

On 19 March 2024, he assumed the Presidency of the Senate, serving until 25 March 2025.[6] His Senate leadership board included Senator Matías Walker as Vice President.[6]

Between 2023 and 2024, he chaired the Standing Committees on Education and Internal Regime.[6] He also served on the Finance Committee and has been a member of the Joint Special Committee on the Budget since 11 April 2018, as well as of the Fourth Joint Budget Subcommittee since 6 July 2022.[6]

References

  1. ^ "José García Ruminot Senador RN de la IX Región: 'Hay un ambiente indiferente con la visita del Papa'". La Tercera. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Senador de Renovación Nacional, José García Ruminot: 'De a poco la reforma se va ir entendiendo y sumando voluntades'". La Tercera. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ^ "José García Ruminot (RN) dio positivo y es el cuarto senador contagiado con coronavirus". El Mostrador. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Senador García Ruminot: 'Hay sectores que van a tener que hacer el esfuerzo y tributar más para poder financiar la PGU'". CNN Chile. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Nueva mesa quedó integrada por senadores José García y Matías Walker". Republica de Chile senado. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "Parliamentary biography". Library of the National Congress of Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2026.