Jaime Rocha

Jaime Rocha Manrique (4 November 1938 – 1 October 2012) was a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Biography He was born on 4 November 1938 in Lebu. He married Tomasa Maldonado and was the father of three children.

He completed his primary education at Public School No. 1 of Lebu and at the annex school of the Liceo de Lebu, while his secondary studies were undertaken at the Internado Nacional Barros Arana (INBA) in Santiago.

He entered the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile; however, he completed his university studies at the University of Cuenca in Ecuador, where he received his law degree in 1963.

Political career He began his political activities in 1954 by joining the Radical Youth of Lebu. As a member of this party, he served as provincial delegate of Arauco to the National Board and attended the Convention of Chillán.

In 1967 he was elected councilor of the commune of Cañete and, in 1969, became mayor of the same commune following the resignation of Paulino Viveros Sagardia. He also served as vice president of the Chilean Commission on Human Rights of Concepción and as counselor of the Concepción Bar Association between 1985 and 1988.

In 1988 he was appointed president of the Bar Association of the Eighth Region, serving for one year.

In December 1989 he was elected deputy for District No. 46 (Arauco, Cañete, Contulmo, Curanilahue, Lebu, Los Álamos, Lota and Tirúa), Eighth Region, for the 1990–1994 term, obtaining 16,493 votes (17.10%). In December 1993 he was re-elected for the same district with 17,384 votes (18.45%). In the 1997 parliamentary elections he was again re-elected for the 1998–2002 term, obtaining the highest district majority with 23,661 votes (30.76%).

In the 2001 parliamentary elections he ran as candidate of the Radical Social Democratic Party for District No. 44 (Chiguayante, Concepción and San Pedro de la Paz), Eighth Region, but was not elected.

After completing his parliamentary term, in 2002 he was appointed by President Ricardo Lagos as Ambassador of Chile to Panama, serving until 2006.

He died on 1 October 2012 in Concepción.