Leonidas Romero
Leonidas Romero | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile | |
| Assumed office 11 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Creation of the District |
| Constituency | District 20 |
| Mayor of Coronel | |
| In office 6 December 2008 – 6 December 2012 | |
| Preceded by | René Carvajal |
| Succeeded by | Boris Chamorro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 October 1955 Lota, Chile |
| Political party | National Libertarian Party (2025−) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Children | One |
| Occupation | Politician |
Leonidas Romero Sáez (born 15 October 1955) is a Chilean evangelical politician and member of the Chamber of Deputies. A member of the National Libertarian Party since 2025, he previously served as the mayor of Coronel from 2008 to 2012.
He first attracted controversy in 2018, when he condemned then-president Sebastián Piñera's recognition of Daniela Vega; Romero declared "Vega a man. As far as I know, she has not had surgery, so she is still a man, she was born a man, her DNA is a man. If you [Piñera] insist that he is Daniela Vega, I am wrong, I was wrong to support you, I was wrong to vote for you." Although condemned by many politicians, including those in the Republican Party, Romero declared he did not regret his statements. In 2021, he also opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in Chile, and was labled as "homophobic" by several media personalities. Following this, he abandoned the Republicans, calling them "moderates" for compromising on the new constitutional process, and sat in Congress as an independent before joining the National Libertarian Party.