Mercedes Bulnes

María Mercedes Bulnes Núñez (6 June 1950, Valdivia – 22 November 2024, Santiago) was a Chilean lawyer, human rights advocate, and independent politician. She served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile for the 17th District of the Maule Region from 2022 until her death.

Before entering parliament, Bulnes was widely known for her work as a human rights lawyer during and after the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, as well as for her legal advocacy on behalf of victims of sexual violence. As a legislator, she focused on human rights, social justice, and the protection of victims within the criminal justice system.

Early life and education

Bulnes was born in Valdivia on 6 June 1950 to Gonzalo Bulnes Aldunate and Luz Adriana Núñez Meyer. In 1973, they were subjected to repression by the regime and were detained and tortured, including during a period when Bulnes was pregnant with her third child.

In the 1990s, Bulnes and her husband opened a law firm dedicated to providing legal assistance to individuals who lacked access to justice due to limited financial resources. She later also practised law in Santiago, working alongside her husband and one of her sons. She acted as counsel for one of the complainants in the criminal case against Martín Pradenas Dürr, who was convicted in 2022 of multiple sexual offences, a verdict later annulled by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds. She was the mother of ten children and had 24 grandchildren.

Death

In May 2024, Bulnes announced via a video posted on her social media accounts that she had begun treatment for cancer. She died in Santiago on 22 November 2024, while serving as a member of parliament. On 26 November 2024, the Senate of Chile observed a minute of silence in her memory at the beginning of its session.