Osvaldo Palma

Osvaldo Palma Flores (born 2 October 1952) is a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Biography Palma was born in Villa Alegre on 2 October 1952. He is the son of Osvaldo Palma Villarroel and Olivia Julieta Flores. He is married to Liliana Villalobos and is the father of four children.

He completed his primary and secondary education at Colegio Instituto de Linares. In 1971, he entered the University of Concepción, graduating as a physician-surgeon in 1977. He later undertook specialization courses in surgery at the Society of Surgeons of Chile, the American College of Surgeons, and in ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support).

Since 1978, he has practiced medicine in the Surgery and Emergency Services of Linares. He also served as medical director of the Mutual de Seguridad in Linares and was a member of the Medical College of the same locality. In parallel, he engaged in agricultural activities, operating the El Trapiche estate in Villa Alegre. He has been a member of the Association of Livestock Breeders and Farmers, where he chaired the commission against cattle theft and the Romero irrigation canal of Villa Alegre.

Political career He began his political activities as a member of National Renewal (RN).

In the 1997 parliamentary elections, he was elected as a deputy for the Maule Region (District No. 39: Colbún, Linares, San Javier, Villa Alegre, and Yerbas Buenas) for the 1998–2002 legislative term. He served on the standing committees on Health; Human Rights, Nationality and Citizenship; and Science and Technology.

In December 2001, he was re-elected for the same district for the 2002–2006 term. He participated in the standing committees on Science and Technology; Health; and Human Rights, Nationality and Citizenship, as well as special committees on Benefits for Persons with Disabilities and on the Firefighters of Chile.

In 2005, he secured a third term (2006–2010) representing the same district. During this period, he served on the standing committees on Natural Resources, National Assets and Environment; and Foreign Affairs, Interparliamentary Affairs and Latin American Integration, in addition to the Special Committee on Inequality and Poverty.

In the December 2009 parliamentary elections, he was not re-elected, losing to Romilio Gutiérrez of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).