| Official Name: | Guaitecas |
| Flag Size: | 150px |
| Flag Alt: | Flag |
| Shield Alt: | Coat of arms |
| Map Alt: | Location of the Commune of Guaitecas in Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region |
| Pushpin Map: | Chile |
| Pushpin Map Narrow: | yes |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location in Chile |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Chile |
| Coordinates: | -43.8833°N -118°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | commune |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Chile |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Aysén |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Aysén |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] [2] |
| Government Type: | Municipality |
| Leader Title: | Alcalde |
| Leader Party: | PPD |
| Leader Name: | Marcos Silva Miranda |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | [3] |
| Area Total Km2: | 787.0 |
| Elevation M: | 72 |
| Population Total: | 1473 |
| Population As Of: | 2012 Census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Urban |
| Population Blank1: | 1411 |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Rural |
| Population Blank2: | 128 |
| Demographics Type1: | Sex |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Men |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 913 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Women |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 626 |
| Area Code: | 56 + 67 |
| Website: | Municipality of Guaitecas |
Guaitecas is Chilean commune located in Guaitecas Archipelago which are part of Aysén Province and Region. The administrative centre is Melinka, the only port and town in the wider Chonos Archipelago.
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Guaitecas spans an area of 787sqkm and has 1,539 inhabitants (913 men and 626 women). Of these, 1,411 (91.7%) lived in urban areas and 128 (8.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 20% (256 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[3] Much of the population of Guaitecas is of Chilote-Huilliche background.[4]
As a commune, Guaitecas is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde (Mayor) who is directly elected every four years. In December 2018 Cristián Alvarado Oyarzo (RN) who was then the mayor was preventively detained as part of an investigation where he was accused of a fraud against the state (es|fraude al fisco) for at least 340 million pesos.[5] This led to his deposition as mayor and his replacement by municipal councillor Marcos Silva Miranda (PPD), who afterwards won the 2021 municipal elections, being ratified as mayor. In December 2021 Cristián Alvarado was condemned to 10 years of prison and two of his collaborators to seven years of prison each.[6]
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Guaitecas is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by René Alinco Bustos (Ind-PPD), Miguel Ángel Calisto Águila (PDC) and Aracely Leuquén Uribe (RN), as part of the 27th electoral district, which includes the entire Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by Ximena Órdenes (PPD) and David Sandoval (UDI), as part of the 14th senatorial constituency, identical to the 27th district.