María Antonieta Saa

María Antonieta Saa Díaz (born 8 January 1943) is a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Around 1969, she was elected president of the Workers’ Association of CORA, which, together with workers from INDAP and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), formed an agricultural workers’ group integrated into the Central Unitary Workers' Union (CUT). She is the daughter of Raúl Saa and María Antonieta Díaz.

She completed her primary education at Liceo Chileno in Santiago, Colegio Beata Imelda in Pitrufquén, and Liceo de Niñas de Quillota. She finished her secondary studies at Liceo Nº 7 in Santiago. In 1960, she entered the Pedagogical Institute of the University of Chile, graduating in 1965 as a teacher of Spanish language and literature.

She worked as a teacher at Liceo Nº 17 in Santiago. In 1967, she joined the Agrarian Reform Corporation (CORA), serving in the Department of Peasant Development as coordinator of the Rural Literacy Program in areas including Melipilla, Colina, and Río Colorado. During this period, she met Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, who was then in exile in Chile.

From 1979 onward, she worked as secretary to writers such as Jorge Edwards, Matilde Urrutia, and Elisa Serrana. She later worked at the Vicente Pérez Rosales Technical Training Center in Santiago, where she eventually became head of the Secretarial Studies program.

She served as social and labor editor at ISIS Internacional, a non-governmental organization focused on women’s information and communication. In 1982, she traveled to Italy for one year as part of this organization. Upon returning to Chile, she was appointed coordinator of the Women’s Study Circle.

Political career She began her public activities as founder and first president of the Student Center of Liceo Nº 7 in Santiago. She later served as president of the Catholic Student Youth of Santiago.

During the military regime of Augusto Pinochet, in 1983, she participated in the founding of the Feminist Movement. That same year, she joined the Socialist Party of Chile. Between 1985 and 1987, she served on its Central Committee and Political Commission.

In 1990, President Patricio Aylwin appointed her mayor of Conchalí, serving until 1992. During her term, she promoted the Communal Council for Children, the Senior Citizens Council, and established the Center for Support to Women Victims of Domestic Violence, as well as programs for female heads of household and educational services for children.

On 13 May 2012, she participated in her party’s internal elections representing the list “Un PPD para el Nuevo Chile,” which placed second with 36.3% of the vote. On 11 June 2012, she assumed the seventh vice presidency of the party’s executive board.

She chose not to seek re-election as deputy in the November 2013 parliamentary elections. That same year, she was elected Regional Councillor (CORE) for the Santiago I Provincial Circumscription (2014–2018 term), representing the communes of Renca, Conchalí, Huechuraba, Pudahuel, and Quilicura. She served on the committees of Education, Territorial Planning, and International Affairs.

In 2017, she was re-elected as Regional Councillor for the same circumscription, obtaining 34,875 votes (14.72% of the valid votes cast). She served on the committees of Environment, Education and Culture, International Affairs, Women and Gender, Productive Development, and Health.

She ran for a third re-election as Regional Councillor in 2021 but was not elected (5.58% of the valid votes).

In the municipal elections of 26–27 October 2024, she was elected councillor of Providencia with 3.54% of the valid votes cast.