Jeannette Jara

Jeannette Alejandra Jara Román (born 23 April 1974) is a Chilean lawyer, public administrator, and politician. A member of the Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), she served as Minister of Labor and Social Provision under President Gabriel Boric from 2022 to 2025. She previously served as Undersecretary of Social Provision during Michelle Bachelet's second administration (2016–2018).

During her tenure as Labor Minister, Jara oversaw changes, including a reduction of the working week from 45 to 40 hours and increases to the minimum wage. In June 2025, she won the governing coalition's presidential primary, becoming its nominee for the 2025 general election. In the first round of voting on 16 November 2025, she secured a plurality and advanced to a runoff against José Antonio Kast; she was defeated in the December runoff, gaining 41.8% of the vote and failing to a win a majority in any of Chile's regions.

Early life and education Jeannette Jara was born on 23 April 1974 in Conchalí, a working-class commune in northern Santiago (now part of Independencia). She grew up in the El Cortijo neighborhood, raised primarily by her grandmother in a mediagua (a prefabricated shelter) that initially lacked running water. Her father, Sergio Elías Jara Ulloa, was an industrial mechanic, and her mother, Jeanette del Carmen Román Guzmán, was a homemaker. She is the eldest of five siblings, including the investigative journalist Sergio Jara Román.

Jara attended the Liceo Isaura Dinator de Guzmán, a public high school in Santiago. To support her studies and family, she worked various jobs in her youth, including as a promotora (promoter), seasonal agricultural worker, and street food vendor. She later obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Central University of Chile and a master's degree in Public Management from USACH. In 1997, she was elected president of the Student Federation of the University of Santiago (FEUSACH), defeating a rival slate from the Socialist Party of Chile. In 2021, she ran for mayor of Conchalí but was not elected.

Jara became a central figure in the Boric cabinet, known for her negotiating ability with both business guilds and trade unions. She enacted "40 Hours Law" (Ley de 40 Horas), enacted in April 2023, which mandated a gradual reduction of the standard working week from 45 to 40 hours over five years. She also secured legislative approval for a hike in the minimum wage to 500,000 CLP and the "Karin Law" aimed at preventing workplace harassment.

Jara resigned from the cabinet on 7 April 2025 to pursue a presidential bid, handing over the ministry to Giorgio Boccardo.

2025 presidential campaign Jara was nominated by the Communist Party in early 2025. On 29 June 2025, she won the primary of the ruling coalition (Unity for Chile), defeating Carolina Tohá (PPD), Gonzalo Winter (FA), and Jaime Mulet (FRVS). She became the second Communist woman to run for the presidency, following Gladys Marín in 1999.

Her campaign platform emphasized a living wage of 750,000 CLP, the creation of a National Employment Agency, and the establishment of a National Care System.

Personal life Jara married Gonzalo Garrido Rojas, a fellow student leader and member of the JJCC, in 1993. Garrido died by suicide in 1996; Jara has remained close to his family and often commemorates him publicly. She later married Víctor Gajardo Aguilera, with whom she has one son; the couple divorced in 2021. As of 2025, she is in a relationship with Claudio Rodríguez, a social worker.