Cristóbal Juliá
Cristóbal Juliá | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of the Coquimbo Region | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Darwin Ibacache [1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cristóbal Nicolás Juliá de la Vega May 14, 1980 |
| Party | Independent (close to Evópoli) |
| Spouse | Verónica Castro Pizarro |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | La Serena, Chile |
| Alma mater | University of Valparaíso |
| Occupation | Meteorologist and politician |
Cristóbal Nicolás Juliá de la Vega (born May 14, 1980) is a Chilean meteorologist and politician. Since January 6, 2025, he has served as Governor of the Coquimbo Region.
Prior to assuming office, he developed a professional career in public administration, scientific research, and meteorological communication, particularly in areas related to water resources, environmental management, and climate change.
Early life
He was born in the commune of Monte Patria, in the Limarí Province, into a family linked to the agricultural sector. During his childhood, he moved to the city of Ovalle, where he completed his primary and secondary education at Amalia Errázuriz School.
In 1998, he enrolled at the University of Valparaíso, where he studied meteorology, graduating in 2007. This academic background marked the main axis of his subsequent professional development.[2]
Marriage and children
He is married to Verónica Castro Pizarro and is the father of two children.[3]
Professional career
After completing his university studies, in 2007 he returned to the Coquimbo Region to join the Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Zones (CEAZA), where he worked for nine years as a researcher on issues related to environmental sustainability and water resource management.
During the second government of Sebastián Piñera, he served in various regional-level public institutions. At the Institute of Agricultural Development (INDAP), he worked as Emergency Coordinator and Project Engineer; he later held positions at the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Mining and at the General Water Directorate (DGA), where he served as regional director.[4] In these roles, he participated in activities related to agricultural emergency management, the promotion of sustainable mining development, and the administration of water resources.[5]
In parallel, he briefly ventured into entrepreneurship as a co-founder of the pastry shop Café Nimbus.
Following his departure from the DGA at the beginning of the Gabriel Boric government, he began collaborating in 2022 with Mi Radio, a local radio station in the Coquimbo Region, where he worked as a meteorological analyst and broadcaster, providing climate and environmental information to the regional audience.[6]
Political career
In 2017, he began his political involvement by linking himself to the Political Evolution (Evópoli) party, without formally becoming a member. That same year, he ran as a candidate for the Regional Council representing the Elqui Province, but was not elected.[7]
In 2024, he ran for the position of Regional Governor of Coquimbo as an independent candidate, participating in the Chile Vamos primaries. In that instance, he obtained the highest number of votes, becoming the coalition’s official candidate for the regional elections.[8]
In the first round of the regional elections, he did not obtain the required percentage to be elected, and therefore faced a runoff election against Javier Vega, the candidate of the Communist Party of Chile (PC). In this round, he obtained 63% of the vote and was elected regional governor.[9]
He assumed office on 6 January 2025, becoming the second regional governor of the Coquimbo Region.[10]
Controversies
During his political career, he has publicly expressed support for the Dominga Mining-Port Project, arguing its impact on job creation and regional economic development. This position has generated criticism from environmental organizations due to the potential effects of the project on the marine ecosystem and the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve.[3]
Electoral history
| Year | Election | Constituency | Coalition | Party | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Regional councillor election[11] | Elqui Province | Chile Vamos | Ind. / Evópoli | 4,569 | 3.2 | Not elected |
| 2024 | Gubernatorial primaries[12] | Coquimbo Region | 8,678 | 42.92 | Nominated | ||
| Regional election (first round)[13] | 97,208 | 21.77 | Runoff | ||||
| Regional election (second round)[14] | 308,567 | 63.00 | Elected |
References
- ^ "Consejo Regional elige a Darwin Ibacache como Gobernador titular de la Región de Coquimbo". Gobierno Regional de Coquimbo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ "Quién es Cristóbal Juliá, el nuevo gobernador de la región de Coquimbo". Diario El Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Quién es Cristóbal Juliá". El Norte (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Nuevo Director de Aguas en Coquimbo | Dirección General de Aguas" (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "El independiente Cristóbal Juliá gana la gobernación de Coquimbo por un amplio margen | Diario Financiero". www.df.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "El perfil de Cristóbal Juliá de la Vega, el nuevo gobernador de Coquimbo". Diario Huarpe (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Entrevista a Cristóbal Juliá, candidato a Gobernador de Coquimbo". evopoli.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Cristóbal Juliá y Marcelo Santana ganan primarias de gobernadores". Chilevisión (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Segunda vuelta de las elecciones de gobernadores de Chile". El País Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Cristóbal Juliá asume como Gobernador Regional". Elqui Global (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Resultados de las Elecciones Presidenciales, Parlamentarias y Cores 2017 en Chile – Especial de Emol.com". www.emol.com. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Resultados de las Primarias de Alcaldes y Gobernadores 2024 | – Emol.com". www.emol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Resultados de las Elecciones Regionales y Municipales 2024 | – Emol.com". www.emol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Resultados de la Segunda Vuelta de Elecciones de Gobernadores 2024 | – Emol.com". www.emol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2026.
External links
