Raúl Soto

Raúl Humberto Soto Mardones ( Rengo, November 20, 1987) is a Chilean lawyer and politician, member of the Party for Democracy (PPD).  Since March 2018 he has served as a member of the republic representing district no. º 15, of the Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins Region, serving under a second consecutive legislative period, 2022-2026.  Between March 11 and November 7, 2022, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies . 

 Family and studies 
He was born in Rengo on November 20, 1987, son of Carlos Soto González, former councilor and current mayor of the commune of Rengo, and Marisol Mardones Reyes. 

He completed his primary studies at the Colegio La Paz in Rengo and his secondary studies at the Liceo Luis Urbina Flores in the same commune, from which he graduated in 2005.  Later, in 2006, he continued his studies in law at the University of Chile, graduating with the thesis: "The granting of medical licenses: its modification in the control phase and its legal effects";  he was sworn in as a lawyer on December 14, 2014. She then completed a diploma in labor law and family law at the same university.  He is also a candidate for a master's degree in politics and government at Diego Portales University . 

During the second government of Michelle Bachelet, he served as an advisory lawyer at the National Training and Employment Service (SENCE) and at the Undersecretariat of Labor (Subtrab) —both dependent on the Ministry of Labor and Social Security—, until December 2017. 

He is married to Natalia Bustamante Acevedo, with whom he has a son. 

 Political career 
Militant of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC),  considered part of the progressive wing of the party. He was part of the cabinet of deputy Ricardo Rincón during the period 2014-2018. 

In the 2017 parliamentary elections he was elected as a member of parliament for district no. º 15 (corresponding to the communes of Codegua, Coínco Coltauco, Doñihue, Graneros, Machalí, Malloa, Mostazal, Quinta de Tilcoco, Rancagua. Rengo, Requínoa), Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins Region, for the legislative period 2018-2022. He obtained 9,024 votes, corresponding to 5.01% of the total valid votes cast. 

He took office on March 11, 2018. He was a member of the permanent committees on Economy, Development; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; Consumer Protection and Tourism; and Family and Senior Citizens. He was a member of the permanent committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development; and on Labor and Social Security.  As of February 19, 2021, he was a member of the special investigative commissions on: Abuses/rapes by members of the FF. AA. and Public Order and Security in Haiti since 2004; Government actions related to the increase in electricity prices during the COVID-19 pandemic; Data collection process by Carabineros; and Government actions (Carabineros and Investigations) within the framework of public order control. 

On the other hand, he was a member of the special investigative commissions (CEI) on: Enabling of buildings for sick people within the framework of the health residence program; Government acts on denial and granting of disability and survivor pensions; Appointment and conduct of judges and judicial employees of the O'Higgins Region; Irregularities in adoption and registration processes for minors, and control of exit from the country; and Hiring of personnel in the State administration between November 2017 and March 2018. 

On August 26, 2019, he resigned from the PDC after the majority of the bench supported the project to modernize the tax system presented by the second government of President Sebastián Piñera .   On October 8, 2019, he joined the parliamentary committee of the Party for Democracy (PPD). 

In the 2021 parliamentary elections, he ran for re-election as a deputy for district no. º 15, being elected as representative of the Party for Democracy within the " New Social Pact " pact, for the period 2022-2026, obtaining 55,346 votes, corresponding to 27.87% of the total valid votes. 
He assumed office on March 11, 2022, being elected as of that date as president of the Chamber of Deputies, under the board of directors made up of Deputy Alexis Sepúlveda Soto in the first vice presidency, and Deputy Claudia Mix Jiménez, in the second vice presidency.  He is a member of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations, Interparliamentary Affairs and Latin American Integration. 

He submitted his resignation as president of the Chamber of Deputies on October 21, 2022, taking effect on November 7 of the same year. 

 Electoral history 
 2017 parliamentary elections 
 2017 parliamentary elections, candidate for deputy for district 15 ( Codegua, Coinco, Coltauco, Doñihue, Graneros, Machalí, Malloa, Mostazal, Olivar, Quinta de Tilcoco, Rancagua, Rengo and Requínoa )

 Parliamentary elections 2021 
 2021 parliamentary elections, candidate for deputy for district 15 ( Codegua, Coinco, Coltauco, Doñihue, Graneros, Machalí, Malloa, Mostazal, Olivar, Quinta de Tilcoco, Rancagua, Rengo and Requínoa ) 

 References 

 Other websites 
 Sitio web oficial 


Category:1987 births
Category:Living people
Category:Chilean lawyers
Category:Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
Category:Pages with unreviewed translations