Paula Labra

Paula Camila Labra Besserer (born 4 May 1987) is a Chilean politician who currently serves as deputy.

Family and early life She was born in Concepción on 4 May 1987. At the age of two, she moved with her family to live in Parral.

Professional life She completed her secondary education at the Concepción School and San José School in the commune of Parral, graduating from the latter in 2005.

Between 2006 and 2010, she studied business administration at the University for Development (UDD). In 2016, she completed a diploma in Project Administration and Management at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and in 2019 she earned a diploma in Health Authority and Public Health Management at the University of the Andes.

She began her professional career in the public sector, specifically at the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Economy of the Biobío Region in 2011. She later continued her career in the health sector as head of the Department of Administration and Finance of the Metropolitan Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Health, a position she held from October 2011 to November 2013.

Between 2014 and 2017, she developed her professional career in the private sector, working for companies such as Ultramar Network, Servicios Andinos, Anglo American and Banco Itaú.

In April 2018, she returned to the Ministry of Health as head of the Internal Administration Department. She was subsequently appointed to carry out an intervention at the Commission for Preventive Medicine and Disability (COMPIN) of the Santiago Metropolitan Region and, in October 2019, she was appointed National Director of COMPIN to implement its modernisation process.

Political career She is an independent politician, politically close to National Renewal.

On 17 April 2020, she was appointed Metropolitan Regional Ministerial Secretary of Health during the presidency of Sebastián Piñera. In this role, she was responsible for addressing actions related to the control and prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic. She resigned from the position on 19 August 2021 in order to run for the Chamber of Deputies of Chile.

In the parliamentary elections held in November 2021, she ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies representing the 18th electoral district of the Maule Region, which comprises the communes of Cauquenes, Chanco, Colbún, Linares, Longaví, Parral, Pelluhue, Retiro, San Javier, Villa Alegre and Yerbas Buenas. She ran as an independent candidate on a slot provided by National Renewal within the Chile Podemos Más coalition for the 2022–2026 legislative term. She was elected with 13,037 votes, corresponding to 11.07% of the valid votes cast.