View source for National Congress of Chile

{{short description|National legislature of Chile}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = National Congress of Chile
| native_name        = Congreso Nacional de Chile
| legislature        =[[LVI legislative period of the Chilean Congress|LVI legislative period]]
| coa_pic            = Coat of arms of Chile (c).svg
| coa_res            =
| coa_alt            =Coat of arms of Chile
|coa_caption=[[Coat of arms of Chile]]| logo_pic           =
| logo_res           =
| logo_alt           =
| house_type         = Bicameral
|foundation=July 4, 1811 <br/><small>([[First Chilean National Congress|First National Congress]])</small>| houses             = [[Senate of Chile|Senate]]<br>[[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]
| leader1_type       = [[President of the Senate of Chile|President of the Senate]]
| leader1            = [[José García Ruminot]]
| leader2_type       = [[President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile|President of the Chamber of Deputies]]
| leader2            = [[Karol Cariola]]
| seats              = Total: 205 <br/>50 senators<br/>155 deputies
| house1             =[[Senate of Chile|Senate]]
| house2             =[[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]
| structure1         = Senadores Chile.svg
| structure1_res     = 250px
| structure2         = Diputados Chile.svg
| structure2_res     = 250px
| political_groups1  = 
'''Government (18)'''
* ''[[Government Alliance]] (18)''
** {{color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Socialist Party of Chile|PS]] (7)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Party for Democracy (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Party for Democracy (Chile)|PPD]] (6)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Communist Party of Chile}}|border=darkgray}} [[Communist Party of Chile|PCCh]] (2)
** {{Color box|#83C926|border=darkgray}} [[Social Green Regionalist Federation|FREVS]] (2)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Broad Front (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Broad Front (Chilean political coalition)|FA]] (1)

'''External support (5)'''
* {{Color box|dodgerblue|border=darkgray}} [[Christian Democratic Party (Chile)|DC]] (3)
* {{Color box|#808080|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independents]] (2)

'''Opposition (27)'''
*''[[Chile Vamos]] (22)''
** {{Color box|{{party color|National Renewal (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[National Renewal (Chile)|RN]] (10)
** {{Color box|#000080|border=darkgray}} [[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]] (9)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Political Evolution}}|border=darkgray}} [[Political Evolution|Evópoli]] (3)

*''Others (5)''
** {{Color box|#0096BA|border=darkgray}} [[Christian Social Party (Chile)|PSC]] (2) 
** {{Color box|{{party color|Democrats (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Democrats (Chile)|Democrats]] (2)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Republican Party (Chile, 2019)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Republican Party (Chile, 2019)|PLR]] (1) 

<hr>

| political_groups2  =
'''Government (67)'''
* ''[[Government Alliance]] (67)''
** {{Color box|{{party color|Broad Front (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Broad Front (Chilean political coalition)|FA]] (23)
** {{color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Socialist Party of Chile|PS]] (13)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Communist Party of Chile}}|border=darkgray}} [[Communist Party of Chile|PCCh]] (10)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Party for Democracy (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Party for Democracy (Chile)|PPD]] (9)
** {{Color box|#FF03B2|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Party of Chile (2013)|PL]] (5)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Social Democratic Radical Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Radical Party of Chile (2018)|PR]] (3)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Humanist Action}}|border=darkgray}} [[Humanist Action|AH]] (2)
** {{Color box|#83C926|border=darkgray}} [[Social Green Regionalist Federation|FREVS]] (1)
** {{Color box|#808080|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independents]] ([[Hernán Palma|1]])

'''External support (7)'''
* {{Color box|dodgerblue|border=darkgray}} [[Christian Democratic Party (Chile)|DC]] (7)

'''Opposition (81)'''
*''[[Chile Vamos]] (48)''
** {{Color box|#000080|border=darkgray}} [[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]] (22)
** {{Color box|{{party color|National Renewal (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[National Renewal (Chile)|RN]] (22)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Political Evolution}}|border=darkgray}} [[Political Evolution|Evópoli]] (4)

*''Others (33)''
** {{Color box|{{party color|Republican Party (Chile, 2019)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Republican Party (Chile, 2019)|PLR]] (12) 
** {{Color box|#0096BA|border=darkgray}} [[Christian Social Party (Chile)|PSC]] (7) 
** {{Color box|{{party color|Democrats (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Democrats (Chile)|Democrats]] (6)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Party of the People (Chile)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Party of the People (Chile)|PDG]] (1)
** {{Color box|{{party color|Amarillos por Chile}}|border=darkgray}} [[Amarillos por Chile|AxCh]] (1)
** {{Color box|#808080|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician| Independents]] (6)
|term_length=* Senators: eight-years term with the option to go for re-election one time<br>
* Deputies: four-years term, may go for re-election two times| session_room     = Congreso Nacional de Chile.jpg
| session_res      = 250px
| meeting_place    = Edificio del Congreso Nacional<br/>[[Valparaíso]]<br>[[Chile]]
| website          = [https://www.camara.cl// Cámara de Diputados {{in lang|es}}]<br>[http://www.senado.cl/ Senado {{in lang|es}}]
| footnotes        =
}}

The '''National Congress of Chile'''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cabrera-Tapia|first=Roberto|date=2021|title=The Chilean Congress: Bicameralism in a Presidential System.|url=https://psaparliaments.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Chile.pdf|website=PSA Parliaments specialist group}}</ref> ({{langx|es|Congreso Nacional de Chile}}) is the [[Legislature|legislative branch]] of the [[Chile|Republic of Chile]]. According to the current Constitution ([[Chilean Constitution of 1980]]), it is a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] organ made up of a [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]  and a [[Senate of Chile|Senate]]. Established by law No. 18678,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nacional |first=Biblioteca del Congreso |title=Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional {{!}} Ley Chile |url=https://www.bcn.cl/leychile |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.bcn.cl/leychile |language=es}}</ref> the city of [[Valparaíso]] is its official headquarters. 

Chile's congress is the oldest operational in [[Latin America]] and one of the oldest in [[Ibero-America]]. The [[First Chilean National Congress]] was founded on July 4, 1811, to decide the best kind of government for the [[Captaincy General of Chile|Kingdom of Chile]] during the captivity of [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|King Ferdinand VII]] in the hands of [[Napoleon]]. 

The Chamber of Deputies is constituted by 155 members called deputies or ''diputados'' in Spanish and they are elected for a four-years period. Re-election is possible for a maximum of two times, which means that the deputy may remain in the post for up to 12 years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Congreso Nacional de Chile |first=Biblioteca |date=2014-11-27 |title=Limits to the re-election of deputies and senators |url=https://www.bcn.cl/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Portal de la  Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile |language=Spanish}}</ref> The country has [[Electoral divisions of Chile|28 electoral districts]] and each one is represented by two deputies. 

The [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] is formed by 50 senators elected for an eight-years period and may go for re-election one time, which means a senator can remain in the role for 16 years.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Electoral divisions of Chile|electoral division]] is different from the deputies, it is made of [[Electoral divisions of Chile|19 senatorial constituencies]] (''Spanish:'' ''circunscripción senatorial''), where two senators are elected per constituency.

The Congress's powers, duties and processes are defined in articles 42 to 59 of the current [[Chilean Constitution of 1980|constitution]] of 1980 and through the Constitutional Organic Law No. 18918<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nacional |first=Biblioteca del Congreso |title=Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional {{!}} Ley Chile |url=https://www.bcn.cl/leychile |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.bcn.cl/leychile |language=es}}</ref> published in 1990.

The current [[electoral system]] (or voting system) in Chile is proportional and inclusive according to the 2015 update of the organic law No. 18700, article 179 bis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biblioteca |first=Congreso Nacional de Chile |title=Organic law about popular vote |url=https://www.bcn.cl/leychile |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.bcn.cl/leychile |language=Spanish}}</ref>

The National Congress was closed without an immediate renewal of the members of its two chambers during three periods: [[Government Junta of Chile (1924)|1924-1925]], [[Socialist Republic of Chile|June-October 1932]] and [[Military dictatorship of Chile|1973-1989]].

A new four-years legislative period begins with the installation of the National Congress. The [[LVI legislative period of the Chilean Congress]] began on March 11, 2022 and will end in 2026.

==History==

=== Patria Vieja ===
{{Main article|First Chilean National Congress}}

=== Patria Nueva ===
{{Main article|Chilean Declaration of Independence}}

=== Dictatorship 1973-1990 ===
On 13 September 1973, the [[Government Junta of Chile (1973)|Government Junta of Chile]] [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|dissolved Congress]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/chile/story/0,,1033575,00.html "Junta general names himself as new President of Chile"]. ''The Guardian''. 14 September 1973. Retrieved 31 October 2018.</ref>

During the last years of the [[Augusto Pinochet|Pinochet]] regime, the current building of Congress was built in the port city of [[Valparaíso]], some 140 km west of the country's capital, [[Santiago de Chile|Santiago]]. This new building replaced the [[Former National Congress Building]], located in downtown Santiago.

=== Transition to Democracy ===
Between 1989 and 2013, elections in Chile were carried out following a [[binomial voting]] system, which was prescribed in 1980 during the [[Military dictatorship of Chile]].

The binomial system was considered by most analysts as the main constitutional lock that prevented completion of the [[Chilean transition to democracy]].

== See also ==
{{Politics of Chile}}
* [[Republic of Chile]]
* [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile]]
* [[Senate of Chile]]
* [[Politics of Chile]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|National Congress of Chile}}
* [https://www.camara.cl Cámara de Diputados]
* [http://www.senado.cl/ Senado]

{{Chile topics}}
{{National bicameral legislatures}}
{{SouthAmerican legislatures}}
{{Legislatures of the Americas}} 
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Government of Chile]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures|Chile]]
[[Category:National legislatures|Chile]]
[[Category:National Congress of Chile|*]]