Santiago Gajardo

Félix Santiago Gajardo Peillard (Antofagasta, 26 November 1932 – Santiago, 11 July 2006) was a Chilean commercial engineer and politician.

He served as mayor of Antofagasta (1960–1964 and 1973–1978), mayor of Pudahuel (1978–1979), and deputy of the Republic of Chile (1965–1969).

Biography He completed his secondary education at Colegio San Luis in his hometown. In 1957 he graduated as a commercial engineer from the University of Chile, and the same year received a postgraduate scholarship at the University of Bonn in Germany.

Professionally, he practiced his career and also taught Economic Development at the Universities of Chile and the North in Antofagasta between 1958 and 1965.

Political career He joined the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) in 1957, becoming its national vice president between 1965 and 1966.

In April 1960 he assumed as mayor of Antofagasta. In 1962 he was invited by the United States to learn about municipal development.

In 1964 he resigned to run for Congress, being elected deputy for the 2nd Departmental Grouping (Antofagasta, Tocopilla, El Loa and Taltal) in the 1965 election. He served on the Committees on Finance; Economy and Trade; and the Special Investigation Committee on the 1967 northern earthquake. He was deputy member of the PDC Parliamentary Committee (1965–1966). That year, he traveled to Cuba as deputy.

He ran unsuccessfully for senator in the 1969 election. In 1971 he was elected alderman of Antofagasta.

After the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, and with the approval of his party, he was appointed mayor of Antofagasta by the military dictatorship at the request of General Joaquín Lagos Osorio. His works included electrification and urbanization in northern neighborhoods, and starting construction of the coastal avenue (now Avenida Rendic).

He later served as mayor of Pudahuel (1978–1979), director of the Tarapacá Regional Government until 1987, and general secretary of the regional government until 1990.

In December 1983 he co-founded the Social Christian Movement, grouping Christian Democrats expelled for supporting Pinochet. He appeared in the pro-Sí campaign during the 1988 plebiscite.