Rodrigo Rojas Vade | |
|---|---|
 Rojas Vade in 2021 | |
| Member of the Constitutional Convention | |
| In office 4 July 2021 –16 March 2022 | |
| Constituency | 13th District |
| Adjunct Vice President of the Constitutional Convention | |
| In office 29 July 2021 –5 September 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Creation of the office |
| Succeeded by | Tania Madriaga |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rodrigo Ernesto Rojas Vade 10 October 1983 |
| Other political affiliations | The List of the People |
| Occupation | Political activist |
Rodrigo Ernesto Rojas Vade [1] (born 10 October 1983) [2] is a Chilean former political activist who was elected in 2021 as a member of the Chilean Constitutional Convention. [3] [4] He became an icon of the 2019 Chilean protests [5] falsely claiming to have leukaemia and alleging to be a victim of the healthcare system and using a discourse against high medical costs in Chile. [6] [7] Later it was revealed that he actually had syphilis. [8] [9]
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Rojas is nicknamed Pelao Vade (bald Vade) [10] and was one of founding members of The List of the People,a former far-left political grouping which won 17% of seats in the Convention. [11] He is openly gay. [12] [13]
During his campaign in 2021,Rojas used his false diagnosis of cancer. [6] This revelation,brought to light by the Chilean newspaper La Tercera in September 2021,resulted in his resignation from the position of Adjunct Vice President of the Constitutional Convention,followed by his departure from the Convention entirely. [14] Also,the Public prosecutor's office indicted Rojas Vade for at least 30 counts of residual fraud;and in February 2023,he was convicted and sentenced for committing this crime by the justice of his country. [7]