Juan Manuel Fuenzalida

Juan Manuel Fuenzalida Cobo (born 1 July 1973) is a Chilean politician who serves as deputy. The most part of her professional and political career has been developed in the Coquimbo Region.

He has worked as an adviser and manager for private and public entities, particularly in the areas of real estate, mortgage banking, transportation, social services, and government services. Between 2001 and 2006, he served as legal adviser to several construction, real estate, and investment companies, as well as to Banco Santander. He is separated and has three children.

He completed his primary and secondary education at Colegio Padres Franceses de Manquehue in Santiago (1979–1982) and at The International School in La Serena (1983–1991). In 1992, he moved to Santiago to study Law at the Faculty of Law of Gabriela Mistral University, where he obtained a licentiate degree in Legal and Social Sciences.

His thesis was titled “Don Camilo Cobo Gutiérrez, his contributions to liberal thought and to the country during the second half of the 19th century.” He was admitted to practice law on 15 July 2002.

He also holds a diploma in Real Estate and Banking Law from Universidad Mariano Egaña in La Serena.

Between March 2006 and March 2007, he served as Chief Legal Officer of Cibergestión Chile S.A. From March 2007 to February 2010, he worked as Commercial Manager and Regional Coordinating Attorney for the Northern Zone Mortgage Center of Banco Santander.

In March 2010, he was called to collaborate with the government of President Sebastián Piñera, serving as Regional Ministerial Secretary and later as Intendant of the Coquimbo Region. After completing his term as Intendant, he returned to private legal practice, serving as substitute notary in the cities of Coquimbo and Vicuña and as substitute registrar of real estate in La Serena.

Political career In March 2010, President Sebastián Piñera appointed him Regional Ministerial Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, a position he held until December 2012. On 1 January 2013, he was appointed Regional Ministerial Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, serving until August 2013.

On 13 August 2013, he was appointed Intendant of the Coquimbo Region, holding the position until 11 March 2014.

In August 2017, he decided to run for the Chamber of Deputies of Chile for the 5th District of the Coquimbo Region—comprising the communes of La Serena, La Higuera, Vicuña, Paihuano, Andacollo, Coquimbo, Ovalle, Río Hurtado, Combarbalá, Punitaqui, Monte Patria, Illapel, Salamanca, Los Vilos, and Canela—representing the Independent Democratic Union (UDI). In the parliamentary elections held on 19 November 2017, he was elected with 4,331 votes, equivalent to 1.69% of the valid votes cast.

From January 2019 until 28 December 2020, he served as Vice President of the Central Executive Committee of the Independent Democratic Union, led by Senator Jacqueline van Rysselberghe.

In August 2021, he ran for re-election in the same district representing the UDI within the Chile Podemos Más pact. In November 2021, he was re-elected with 9,220 votes, corresponding to 3.89% of the valid votes cast.

He ran again for re-election in the elections of 16 November 2025, representing the UDI within the Chile Grande y Unido pact. He was not elected, obtaining 14,667 votes, equivalent to 3.28% of the total votes cast.