During this day, the application period for the central position of the Ombudsman for Children ends, a public body that is in charge of ensuring the rights of children and adolescents. The vote will take place on April 11 in the Senate. The required quorum in the Upper House is 2/3.
So far, there are five names that sound like possible applicants for the position currently held by former prosecutor Patricia Muñoz. One of them is the lawyer and teacher Monica Jeldres, also titular judge of the Second Family Court of Santiago, and master’s degree in Effective Judicial Protection of Fundamental Rights of Gender and Minors. Her resume includes her work in the so-called Jeldres Report, generated jointly by the Judiciary and Unicef Chile: one of the pioneering initiatives to expose the abuses suffered by children in the National Service for Minors (SENAME). Jeldres was also considered as a possible defender of Children in 2018, when the institution was created under the administration of President Michelle Bachelet.
Rosario Martínez is a sociologist from the Catholic University and was the head of SENAME between 2020 and 2022. An RN activist, she was appointed by a High Public Administration contest in the government of Sebastián Piñera as a position of trust, and ended her tenure at the entity after being called to resign in October of last year by the current government. She has worked in the public system and as an advisor to Katherine Martorell, former undersecretary for crime prevention. During her tenure at SENAME, the Human Rights Unit was created.
Another possible applicant is Blanquita Honorato, a psychologist from the Catholic University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of New York. She served as Deputy Secretary for Children between January and March 2022, when the incumbent, Carol Bown, contracted Covid-19. She has also worked as executive director of the Padre Semería Foundation.
Anuar Quesille, for his part, is a lawyer from the Diego Portales University. He has worked as a professor at the Central University and as an independent Human Rights consultant. At UNICEF Chile he worked as a consultant in the area of child protection between 2009 and 2020, and also for the same organization in Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Peru.
Finally, Carlos Alvear is a lawyer from the Central University. He worked as Commissioner for Children and Adolescents at SENAME between 2014 and 2018, and participated in the legal representation program specializing in crimes and serious violations of children and adolescents. In addition, he was secretary of the Chilean Commission on Human Rights (CCHDH).
