{{Short description|Chilean politician (born 1979)}} {{family name hatnote|Bernales|Maldonado|lang=Chilean}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alejandro Bernales | image = Alejandro_Javier_Bernales_Maldonado.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1979|2|2}} | birth_place = Valdivia, Chile | office = Member of the Chamber of Deputies | constituency = District 26 | term_start = 11 March 2018 | term_end = | office1 = Regional Director of the National Council of Culture and the Arts | president1 = Sebastián Piñera | term_start1 = April 2010 | term_end1 = 11 March 2014 | party = Liberal | alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|Andrés Bello National University (BA)|University of Chile (PgD)}} | occupation = Politician | profession = Architect | parents = Alfonso Bernales<br/>Norka Maldonado | spouse = Paz Vidal | children = Two | footnotes = }} '''Alejandro Javier Bernales Maldonado''' (born 2 February 1979) is a Chilean graphic designer and politician who serves as a parliamentary in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile.
In the early-2010s, Bernales was a member of Sebastián Piñera's first government (2010−2014).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latercera.com/noticia/ex-seremi-pinera-busca-llegar-al-congreso-frente-amplio/|title=Ex seremi de Piñera busca llegar al Congreso por el Frente Amplio|publisher=La Tercera|date=24 June 2017|accessdate=26 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="LT1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latercera.com/politica/noticia/alejandro-bernales-diputado-electo-del-frente-amplio-la-gente-finalmente-premio-vuelco-politico-pinera-al-partido-liberal/69470/|title=Alejandro Bernales, diputado electo del Frente Amplio: "La gente finalmente premió mi vuelco político de Piñera al Partido Liberal"|publisher=La Tercera|date=15 February 2018|accessdate=26 January 2022}}</ref> However, then he joined to the Liberal Party (centre-left), which in 2017 joined the leftist coalition Broad Front (FA). Three years later, his party left the FA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pauta.cl/politica/diputado-alejandro-bernales-partido-liberal-motivos-salida-frente-amplio|title=Diputado Bernales (P. Liberal): "No nos sentíamos seducidos hacia dónde iba la micro"|publisher=Radio Pauta|date=7 December 2020|accessdate=26 January 2022}}</ref>
== Early life == Bernales did a BA in graphic design at the Andrés Bello National University (UNAB). Later, he completed two post-graduate diplomas in Digital Photography and in Cultural Management at the University of Chile.
From April 2010 to March 2014, Bernales was part of the first government of Sebastián Piñera<ref name="LT1"/> and served as Regional Director of the National Council for Culture and the Arts in Los Lagos Region.<ref name="LT1"/>
In 2011, he was chosen among the 100 young leaders of the magazine Saturday from El Mercurio newspaper. Similarly, Bernales also was ranked among these 100 leaders by The Network of Leaders of the Adolfo Ibáñez University.
== Political career == In the mid-2010s, Bernales joined the Vlado Mirosevic's Liberal Party of Chile, a center-left party that later was a founding member of the Broad Front.
In November 2017, for the parliamentary elections, Bernales was elected deputy for the 2018−2022 period<ref name="LT1"/> representing District 26 of Calbuco, Cochamó, Maullín, Puerto Montt, Ancud, Castro, Chaitén, Chonchi, Curaco de Vélez, Dalcahue, Futaleufú, Hualaihué, Palena, Puqueldón, Queilén, Quellón, Quemchi, Quinchao. He obtained 6.194 votes, corresponding to a 4.50% of the total. Despite being part of a mostly leftist coalition, Bernales claimed to represent centrist politics.<ref name="LT1"/>
During the 2018−2022 period, Bernales integrated the following permanent commissions: 1) Culture, Arts and Communications; 2) Economy, Development, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and 3) Consumer Protection and Tourism. On the other hand, he was a member of the Special Investigative Commission on the ANFP frauds during Sergio Jadue's spell.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Twitter|abernales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernales, Alejandro}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Liberal Party of Chile (2013) politicians Category:Andrés Bello National University alumni Category:University of Chile alumni Category:Chilean social liberals Category:People from Valdivia Category:Deputies of the LV Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile Category:Deputies of the LVI Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile Category:Deputies of the LVII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile