Nelson Venegas

Nelson Esteban Venegas Salazar (born 27 April 1974) is a Chilean politician who serves as deputy.

Biography Family and youth He was born on 27 April 1974 in Los Andes. He is the son of Nelson Venegas Salgado and Alicia Salazar Machuca, and is the father of three children.

Education and professional career He completed his secondary education at Liceo A No. 10 in the city of Los Andes. He later studied Law at the Central University of Chile, where he obtained a degree in Legal and Social Sciences. His thesis was entitled “Evaluation of Environmental Law in Chile”. He qualified as a lawyer on 26 April 2004.

He subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Public Law with a specialization in Constitutional Law. He has practiced his profession in both the public and private sectors.

Political career He has had a long political career as a member of the Socialist Party of Chile (PS). He served as president of the Socialist Youth of the Valparaíso Region and was a member of its Central Committee. He later served as communal president, member of the party’s Central Committee, member of the Political Commission, and was a candidate for regional party president in 2019.

In the 2004 municipal elections, he ran for mayor of the commune of Calle Larga, Province of Los Andes, Valparaíso Region, representing the Socialist Party, but was not elected. In 2008, he again ran for mayor in the same town, being elected for the 2008–2012 term, obtaining 2,579 votes (46.25% of valid votes). He was subsequently re-elected in 2012 and 2016.

He served as president of the Association of Municipalities of Aconcagua and was a promoter of the creation of the Aconcagua Region. He resigned from office in November 2020 in order to run for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.

In August 2021, he registered his candidacy for the Chamber of Deputies representing the PS on the Nuevo Pacto Social list for District No. 6, Valparaíso Region, for the legislative term 2022–2026. In November 2021, he was elected with 25,452 votes, corresponding to 7.16% of valid votes cast.