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Original article: La trama para llenar la codiciada vacante de Secretario general del Senado

For several months, lawmakers and influential figures in the National Congress have been quietly maneuvering to secure the most significant administrative role in the Senate: the position of Secretary General. Among those involved are Senator Manuel José Ossandón and the Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies, Miguel Landeros, who are working to reestablish a trusted ally in this role, making promises and altering agreements to achieve their goal.

«The Secretary General holds considerable power,» says a seasoned public official. «They essentially orchestrate the dealings within the chambers and manage sessions,» he adds, adjusting his glasses and stating, «This role is not directly voted on by the public; it relies on the votes of Senators,» who are expected to weigh in soon. Here’s the report:

LANDEROS’ INFLUENCE

The long-serving Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies, Miguel Humberto Landeros Perkic, has begun to be viewed as a considerable burden for Congress.

Known for having a wide network of support, Landeros is currently facing scrutiny in private for his persona and methods within the National Congress. He often mentions his mother’s socialist or Christian Democratic affiliation, while also citing connections to right-wing factions in his family.

Some lawmakers describe him as a «necessary evil for the Chamber of Deputies,» a sentiment echoed by various congressional officials.

Landeros began his career in Congress as a parliamentary adviser for the Christian Democratic caucus in the 1990s, a time when the DC Committee comprised nearly a third of the Chamber of Deputies. This background granted him the support needed to become a lawyer and committee secretary in the Chamber, initially backed by his predecessor Carlos Loyola Opazo, who served from 1990 until 2010, followed briefly by Adrián Álvarez for three years, before Landeros assumed the role in 2013, which he still holds today.

An adept political operator, he skillfully builds relationships and networks through institutional favors and social engagements, including attending the wedding of former deputy and current senator Camila Flores.

ALLIES IN POWER

Landeros consistently places his trusted allies in key positions to ensure he has access to information from all deputies.

This tactic was evident when he appointed his assistant lawyer, Ignacio Rodríguez, as the director of the National Congress Library—a low-profile lawyer lacking the necessary qualifications for the role. In collusion with former Senate President Manuel José Ossandón, they created an environment of pressure and harassment that led to the resignation of the previous library director, Diego Matte Palacios, allowing Landeros and Ossandón to seamlessly install Rodríguez without any formal selection process and under a veil of secrecy.

Additionally, the current President of the Chamber of Deputies, Jorge Alessandri Vergara, has Landeros’ loyal employee, Hernán Muñoz, as his driver.

Muñoz, a former Senate employee dismissed for poor performance, has a history of administrative inquiries and was involved in various incidents, including the illegal sale of Senate badges, altercations with other officials, and possession of a weapon in the Senate parking lot—a situation witnessed by ex-senator Matta, who reported the incident, but no action was taken. Through Muñoz, Landeros is privy to every move and conversation of the Chamber’s president, Jorge Alessandri.

Muñoz’s hiring by the Chamber of Deputies, following his dismissal from the Senate, raises serious integrity issues.

Those familiar with the internal workings of the Chamber assert that Landeros hired Muñoz, initially as a consultant and later as a contracted employee, with indications that his position was even upgraded. However, both the Administrative Statute and the Personnel Regulations of the Chamber strictly prohibit hiring individuals previously dismissed from other services for poor performance. Moreover, any hiring process requires the approval of the Chamber’s Regime Commission, requirements that Landeros seems to have ignored, creating discontent among officials, especially since Muñoz has economically harmed other staff members.

THE MOVES AT THE BCN

Former director of the BCN, Alfonso Pérez Guiñez, who shared exile with former senator Adriana Muñoz, was a staunch ally of Landeros, enabling him to hire numerous officials at the BCN.

The appointment of new director Diego Matte Palacios struck a significant blow to Landeros, who lost influence at the BCN—a loss he was unwilling to accept.

During Matte’s tenure of just over two years, Landeros seized every opportunity to undermine him with parliamentarians and interfere in BCN reports. A notable instance involved reports on the allowances and expenses of former Presidents, which precipitated a crisis for Matte with the deputies.

Ultimately, Landeros achieved his aim when Diego Matte resigned in November 2025 amidst controversy, after being unjustly accused of mismanagement by Senator Ossandón.

Landeros’ manipulative tactics extended beyond that, aligning him further with Ossandón. Allegations were made against then-Senate President Manuel José Ossandón of falsifying a Library Commission agreement related to a non-existent session supposedly held on June 11, 2025. The irregularity involved forged signatures from Karol Cariola, Eric Aedo, and Miguel Landeros, among others, who did not genuinely participate in the agreement. This raised significant concerns about oversight in Senate operations.

This situation was reported by Library Director Diego Matte to Senate President Manuel José Ossandón and Chamber President José Miguel Castro, yet Ossandón chose inaction, possibly using the situation to control Landeros instead, which ultimately proved ineffective; it was Landeros who maintained control over Ossandón.

LANDEROS: OSSANDÓN’S ALLY

Ossandón’s anger toward Diego Matte intensified following an interview where Matte justified his decision not to dismiss an employee who traveled abroad while on medical leave, a staff member who later resigned.

The effort to remove Matte from his position marked the beginning of a partnership between Landeros and Ossandón, succeeding with Matte’s resignation in November, concurrently revealing the harassment he faced from Ossandón.

Subsequently, with Landeros and the assistance of some Senate legal advisers, Ossandón introduced motions aiming to limit bonuses and salary increases, circumventing years of collaborative work done by senators in the Internal Regime Commission, Senate General Secretariat, Civil Service, and employee associations. This significantly strained Ossandón’s relationships with fellow senators.

Ossandón’s actions led to a historic situation in the Senate, where employee associations and national Congress federation, along with ANEF, protested against him—a rare occurrence showcasing the widespread discord he sparked among officials.

Only a handful of legal aides, such as Francisco Vives, Rodrigo Pineda, and Juan Pablo Durán, remained loyal to Ossandón, having received promises from him to amend Senate regulations to ensure the role of Secretary General would be reserved for committee secretaries, preventing external professionals from accessing the position. This initiative ultimately became part of a rejected project by Ossandón.

SENATE PRESIDENCY

Ossandón aimed for a second term as Senate President, exploiting media coverage of his supposed crusade against high Senate salaries through public appearances and television programs, especially morning shows.

His ambition for the role, coupled with his individualism, disregard for agreements, ongoing internal conflicts, and comments suggesting José Antonio Kast’s desire for him to remain as president, sealed his fate. Many Senate officials remarked that during his presidency, he acted like a feudal lord.

There was widespread parliamentary opposition to prevent him from securing another term, prompting the National Renewal Committee to endorse Senator Paulina Núñez as a presidential candidate, thwarting Ossandón’s aspirations.

SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SENATE

The Senate’s Interior Regulation Commission has decided to initiate a public selection process for the Secretary General position. However, the interest has been minimal, with only nine applicants (far below the anticipated twenty), seven of whom were interviewed by Mundo Laboral consulting firm. Out of these, four were deemed suitable for the role: Macarena Lobos (former Minister of the Segpres under Gabriel Boric’s government and an expert); Raúl Guzmán (former Secretary General of the Senate); Luis Rojas (current pro-secretary of the Chamber of Deputies); and Patricia Silva (former undersecretary of the Presidency under Michelle Bachelet).

Lobos has been vetoed by the right due to her previous governmental role; Guzmán faces a personal veto from Ossandón, who had unceremoniously dismissed him; Silva suffers right-wing backlash for her ties to the PS and previous governmental role; and Rojas, while a Chamber employee, is closely affiliated with the UDI, raising eyebrows among current opposition members. Furthermore, he has ties to Miguel Landeros.

At one point, there was discussion about declaring the contest void, a move that would be detrimental to both the Senate and the candidates involved.

Senators Ossandón and Pedro Araya have floated the idea of approving Rojas and promptly appointing a pro-secretary and treasurer from among the committee’s legal aides to facilitate their career paths.

Proposed candidates for the roles of pro-secretary and treasurer include Rodrigo Pineda, a trusted aide of Ossandón; Francisco Vives Dirrabart; Pilar Silva García de Cortázar (the latter two applied for Secretary General but did not progress), and Pedro Fadic.

However, all of these candidates carry a significant issue. In 2020, along with nine other legal aides, they launched two lawsuits against the Senate, both of which were unsuccessful.

The lawsuits stemmed from an overpayment discovery involving several million pesos affecting over 40 Senate employees.

The administration sought reimbursement from the overpaid amounts and adjusted salaries to reflect the rightful figures, leading to deductions from their paychecks.

While the majority of employees voluntarily returned the overpaid sums, 13 legal aides, including Pineda, Vives, Silva, and Fadic, refused, resulting in salary deductions according to public sector regulations.

Consequently, these 13 aides filed lawsuits against the Senate, represented by the costly Guerrero and Olivos law firm, demanding restitution of their deducted funds, as well as seeking reinstatement of their previous paychecks considering the overages they had received.

Both lawsuits were dismissed, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court.

One of the officials who returned the overpaid amount voluntarily remarked that «appointing as Secretary General, pro-secretary, or treasurer individuals seeking to unlawfully pocket funds is indefensible in the eyes of citizens.»

THE ULTIMATE WINNER

In the chaos instigated by Manuel José Ossandón, Miguel Landeros, the Secretary General of the Chamber, emerges as the clear winner.

First, with Ossandón’s assistance, he successfully ousted Diego Matte from the position of BCN director.

Then, in collusion with José Miguel Castro and Ossandón, he placed his assistant lawyer, Ignacio Rodríguez, as the new director of the BCN, bypassing all regulatory provisions and requirements for such appointments.

Currently, in the ongoing selection process for the Senate Secretary General, he has positioned one of his close associates, Luis Rojas Gallardo, currently pro-secretary of the Chamber of Deputies, for the role.

Luis Rojas is familiar to several senators who were once deputies, giving him a notable edge over the other candidates.

If Luis Rojas becomes the Secretary General of the Senate, Miguel Landeros will exert total control over Congress: the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, and the National Congress Library—a scenario unprecedented and politically risky, especially considering that the National Congress operates with limited oversight from any public institution, except through judicial channels, which could lead to ongoing power struggles.

However, memories loom large in the Senate. Landeros was once a key proponent for the elimination of the Senate in favor of a unicameral system during the first constitutional process, an advocacy that has not been forgotten.

Moreover, the current Senate Vice President, Senator Iván Moreira, does not favor Landeros, as he was the one who, during the Penta investigation, facilitated the handover of computers and emails from then-deputy Moreira to the Public Ministry, from which the infamous email requesting «the scraping of the pot» from the owners of PENTA emerged—the case culminated in a conditional suspension, prompting the resignation of prosecutors Gajardo and Norambuena, who oversaw the investigation and reported interference and pressures questioning the integrity of the Public Ministry to resolve these cases without penalties. Today, the former regional prosecutor taking charge of these investigations, Manuel Guerra, is under preventive detention due to multiple irregularities constituting several offenses related to the processing of these investigations.

With only days left before the Senate elects a new Secretary General, requiring a two-thirds majority from the senators—namely, 33 votes—everything seems to be leaning towards a single name: Luis Rojas, once more positioning Manuel José Ossandón and Miguel Landeros as the key beneficiaries, with support spanning from the right to the left.