Carolina Tohá

Carolina Monserrat Tohá Morales (born 12 May 1965) is a Chilean politician from the Party for Democracy (Partido por la Democracia, PPD). She is the daughter of the socialist politician, vice president and minister of Salvador Allende José Tohá, who was killed during the Chilean dictatorship (1973–1990). She was the mayor of Santiago from 2012 to 2016.

Carolina Tohá
Mayor of Santiago
In office 6 December 2012 – 6 December 2016
Preceded by	Pablo Zalaquett
Succeeded by	Felipe Alessandri
Leader of the Party for Democracy
In office 15 May 2010 – 11 June 2012
Preceded by	Pepe Auth
Succeeded by	Jaime Quintana
Ministry General Secretariat of Government
In office 12 March 2009 – 14 December 2009
President	Michelle Bachelet
Preceded by	Francisco Vidal
Succeeded by	Pilar Armanet
Personal details
Born	Carolina Monserrat Tohá Morales 12 May 1965 Santiago, Chile
Political party	Party for Democracy (PPD)
Spouse(s)	Nolberto Salinas (Divorced) Fulvio Rossi (2005–2010) Jaime Madariaga (2011–present)
Alma mater	University of Chile University of Milan
Website	Carolina Tohá official web site

Tohá entered politics in 1984 as a leader of the University of Chile student federation (Fech). During the presidency of Ricardo Lagos she was Deputy Minister Secretary General of Government. In 1999, she was vice-president of the PPD. In 2001, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies — Chile's lower chamber of Congress — representing the Santiago district, and was re-elected in 2005.

On 12 March 2009, she replaced Francisco Vidal in the Ministry General Secretariat of Government, becoming the first woman to hold that post in the country's history. Her congress seat became vacant, as both positions are incompatible with each other in times of peace. She was replaced by Felipe Harboe. On 14 December 2009, she left her government post to lead Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's presidential run-off campaign. In 2010, she was elected president of the PPD. On 28 October 2012, she was elected mayor of Santiago by an absolute majority, ending the right's 12-year rule over a key municipality. In 2016, she lost the election.

Tohá has a law degree from the University of Chile and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Milan. She is married (though currently estranged) to the physician and socialist deputy Fulvio Rossi. She has two children from an earlier partner.

Controversies

Irregular financing from SQM

In May 2016, the Chilean Public Ministry began to investigate the irregular financing from Soquimich (SQM) to her party (being one of the edges of Soquimich case) whilst she was president of the PPD through false vouchers issued by Chile Ambiente — foundation linked to the party, controlled by Patricio Rodrigo (PPD's militant too) — between 2011 and 2012 which made possible the receipt of CLP$57 million.[1]

On 15 May, in a press release she declared, "I would like to clarify that, as president of the PPD, the financing arrangements that I supported were attached to the law "(...). I did not ask Patricio Rodrigo, neither direct nor indirectly, any matter related to the party's financing."[1] Nevertheless, on 22 May, her declarations were in question, because it was reported that in 2011 she had signed a certificate that was given to Servel to register the foundation Chile Ambiente as a party's political formation institute, empowering the body that directs Patricio Rodrigo to receive donations for the PPD.[1]

References

1. "Historias que unen al PPD con SQM (Parte I)". La Tercera. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.

External links

Media related to Carolina Tohá at Wikimedia Commons

• Biography from the Chilean Congress Library (in Spanish)