Evelyn Matthei
Evelyn Matthei | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Mayor of Providencia | |
| In office 6 December 2016 – 6 December 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Josefa Errázuriz |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Bellolio |
| Ministry of Labor and Social Provision | |
| In office 16 January 2011 – 22 July 2013 | |
| President | Sebastián Piñera |
| Preceded by | Camila Merino |
| Succeeded by | Juan Carlos Jobet |
| Member of the Senate for Coquimbo | |
| In office 11 March 1998 – 16 January 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Alberto Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Gonzalo Uriarte |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 11 March 1998 | |
| Constituency | 23rd district (1990–1994) 15th district (1994–1998) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet 11 November 1953 Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | RN (1987–1993) Independent (1993–1999) UDI (1999–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Alliance (1989–2015) Chile Vamos (2015–present) |
| Spouse |
Jorge Desormeaux
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Fernando Matthei (father) Elda Fornet (mother) |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Occupation | Economist • Politician |
| Signature | |
Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet (born 11 November 1953) is a Chilean politician, who served as mayor of Providencia, a commune in Santiago, from 2016 to 2024. She previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1990 to 1998 and as a senator from 1998 to 2011. Under President Sebastián Piñera she served as Minister of Labor and Social Welfare from 2011 to 2013. Later that year, she ran for president of Chile as the candidate for the Independent Democrat Union but lost in a runoff to former President Michelle Bachelet in the 2013 elections.
Trained as an economist, Matthei began her career as a lecturer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago before moving into management roles in the private sector. After Chile's return to democracy in 1988, she transitioned to politics. In addition to her political achievements, she is also an accomplished pianist.
Though a strong supporter of the dictator Augusto Pinochet during the 1988 Chilean presidential referendum, Matthei is considered a moderate figure on the traditional Chilean right. She is currently a candidate for president of Chile in the 2025 presidential election.