Máximo Pavez

Máximo Francisco Pavez Cantillano (born 4 August 1983) is a Chilean lawyer, Undersecretary of the Interior of President José Antonio Kast since 9 March 2026. He is a member of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).

Pavez has been a frequent advisor to think tanks in his political side, which has led him to collaborate on ministries and constitutional processes.

His career has allowed him to reach high-rank positions, such as undersecretary general of the presidency.

Biography Pávez was born in Conchalí (Santiago, Chile) on August 4, 1983, to Máximo Francisco Ernesto Pavez Cerda and Gloria Patricia Cantillano Vergara. He completed his primary and secondary education at the Alonso de Ercilla Institute in downtown Santiago.

He continued his law studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), where he graduated with a law degree. Pávez later earned a master's degree in Laws at the PUC, where he currently teaches Constitutional Law at its Faculty. He later moved to Lampa, a town near Santiago.

Political career During his time at the university, he was a student leader at the PUC for the Gremialist Movement, serving as president of the Law Student Center.

In 2007, Pavez was secretary general of the Student Federation (FEUC), a position he received from future congressman Pablo Vidal. There, he also had the opportunity to meet the mayor of Renca, Claudio Castro.

During Sebastián Piñera's first government (2010–2014), he served as a legislative advisor to Health Minister Jaime Mañalich.

In 2012, and parallel to his work within Piñera's administration, Pavez was elected as councilor of his hometown Conchalí, where simultaneously helped in legislative issue to the conservative think tank, Jaime Guzmán Foundation (FJG), which pays tribute to the founder of his party, the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).

At the think tank, he coordinated interpellations and constitutional accusations against ministers, in addition to advising the UDI bench in the Congress, as well as other factions of the Chilean right-wing on investigative commissions, such as those in the Caval case.