María Rozas

María Rozas Velásquez (3 December 1955 – 6 May 2011) was a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Biography She was born in Santiago on 8 November 1955, the daughter of Luis Orlando Rozas and María Ester Velásquez.

She completed her secondary education at Liceo No. 2 of Santiago and pursued higher studies in Business Administration and later in Primary Education at the University of Chile in Chillán, where she graduated as a teacher at the end of 1978.

Upon returning to Santiago, she began teaching and participating in political activities. She joined the National Trade Union Coordinator and, in that capacity, replaced Manuel Bustos, who requested that she travel to Spain to represent the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CIOSL).

Political career A member of the Christian Democratic Party, she served as National Counselor for three terms and later became First National Vice President. Interested in trade union organizations, she joined the National Trade Union Coordinator in 1978, becoming president of its women's department in 1979.

She also joined the AGECH, where she served as national leader between 1982 and 1987. Simultaneously, between 1984 and 1992, she represented workers on the board of the Hogar de Cristo and, from 1985 onward, served as leader of the Colegio de Profesores de Chile.

In 1988 she promoted the founding of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), Education Department, where she was appointed national leader. Within the CUT she served as Vice President (1991–1995) and Secretary General (1996–1998). She also joined the National Commission on Poverty as counselor. From 1991 she was a member of the National Commission on Education, the NAFTA Commission, and the Commission for International Economic Relations under the Ministry of Economy. She also served on the governing council of the Training Fund of the Labor Directorate and on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization as workers’ representative.

After completing her term as parliamentarian, she served as vice president for International Relations of the CUT and Treasurer of the Teachers’ Association.

She died on 6 May 2011 in Santiago.