Pelao Vade Explained

Rodrigo Rojas Vade
Birth Date:1983 10, df=y
Birth Place:Santiago, Chile
Birth Name:Rodrigo Ernesto Rojas Vade
Office:Member of the Constitutional Convention
Constituency:13th District
Term Start:4 July 2021
Term End:16 March 2022
Office1:Adjunct Vice President of the Constitutional Convention
Term Start1:29 July 2021
Term End1:5 September 2021
Predecessor1:Creation of the office
Successor1:Tania Madriaga
Otherparty: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. Later it was revealed that he actually had syphilis.[6] [7]

Rojas is nicknamed Pelao Vade (bald Vade)[8] 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.[9] He is openly gay.[10] [11]

During his campaign in 2021, Rojas used his false diagnosis of cancer.[12] 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.[13] Also, the Public prosecutor's office indicted Rojas Vade for al teast 30 counts of residual fraud; and in Frebruary 2023, he was convicted and sentenced for committing this crime by the justice of his country.[14]

Biography

Early life

Born in Puente Alto, Rojas's father worked in Movistar, a Chilean telephone company, and his mother was a homemaker. He studied Theater at the Universidad Mayor, but dropped out due to his family's financial situation. Later he would become a technician in aeronautical prevention, being hired in 2009 by airliner LAN (now LATAM), where he served as a cabin crew member. He later went on to work as a flight attendant for Jetsmart Chile.

Constitutional Convention

In May 2021, Rojas was elected as constituent for District 13,[3] [15] representing working class communes of southern Santiago.[3]

Rojas's alleged cancer condition was met with empathy across the political spectrum, like fellow constituent Carol Bown of the right-wing UDI party,[16] [17] with whom he participated in dialogues organized by broadcaster Chilevisión.[18] [19]

In his September 2021 confession, Rojas said that several years before the election he had been diagnosed with a condition that carried a "great stigma" —which he did not reveal—, telling his family and friends that he had cancer. The scandal was covered by many international news outlets.[20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] Similarly, he was denounced by the Convention's board led by Elisa Loncón and Jaime Bassa, president and vice-president of that organ.[27]

On 8 September 2021, Rojas was expelled from "Pueblo Constituyente," the political force heir of the original List of the People.[28] [29]

On 20 September 2021, Rojas tendered his resignation to the Convention, despite the fact that, at the time, the Constitution did not permit resignations unless they were due to certified medical reasons as determined by the Constitutional Court.[30]

On 11 March 2022, Rojas formally resigned from the Convention, coinciding with the publication of a constitutional reform passed by Congress to facilitate such resignations.[31]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Constituyente electo - Rodrigo Ernesto Rojas Vade. La Tercera. 24 July 2021.
  2. Web site: pelao. 2021-10-10. Cumpleaños N•37 años y contando...Agradecido de todxs lxs trabajan en un centro de salud y son nuestra familia en los días grises #tensalcodigosanitario. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20201010194611/https://twitter.com/pelaovade/status/1315014059322945536. 2020-10-10. 2021-09-09. Twitter.
  3. Web site: Quién es Rodrigo Rojas, el constituyente que advirtió un posible "paro" de la Convención por los presos del 18-O. Ex-Ante. 8 July 2021. 24 July 2021.
  4. Web site: Séptima jornada de la Convención: Carabineros detiene a constituyentes de la Lista del Pueblo en protesta por presos del 18-O. Ex-Ante. 15 July 2021. 24 July 2021.
  5. Web site: Pelao Vade, icono del estallido: "Nosotros seguimos endeudándonos y ellos siguen enriqueciéndose". El Desconcierto. 26 June 2021. 24 July 2021.
  6. 21 March 2022 . Rodrigo Rojas Vade, exconstituyente: “Preferí decir que era leucemia en vez de admitir que tenía sífilis” . 29 July 2021 . La Red .
  7. Web site: Ni cáncer ni VIH: Abogado de Rodrigo Rojas Vade reveló su verdadero diagnóstico . CNN Chile . 13 July 2023 . 15 September 2021.
  8. Web site: La trastienda del encuentro cercano entre la ex subsecretaria de Piñera y el activista de la primera línea. El Líbero. 23 May 2021. 24 July 2021.
  9. Web site: El Mostrador - Rodrigo Rojas Vade, constituyente, fundador Lista del Pueblo y la previa a Convención. YouTube. 2 June 2021. 24 July 2021.
  10. Web site: La ruta que tomará La Lista del Pueblo. Radio Pauta. 23 May 2021. 24 July 2021.
  11. Web site: Convención Constituyente tendrá ocho integrantes LGBTIQ+ . Les Constituyentes . 29 July 2021. Spanish.
  12. Web site: 7 September 2021 . Chile protest leader reveals he lied about having cancer . 11 September 2021 . The Guardian.
  13. Web site: Rodrigo Rojas Vade presenta renuncia a la vicepresidencia de la Convención Constitucional tras reconocer que mintió sobre padecer cáncer. La Tercera. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021.
  14. Séptimo Juzgado de Garantía de Santiago . Sentencia en procedimiento simplificado causa RIT: O-13437-2021 RUC: 2100807673-9 . Consulta Unificada del Poder Judicial de Chile . 13 February 2023.
  15. Web site: El Mostrador - Rodrigo Rojas Vade, constituyente, fundador Lista del Pueblo y la previa a Convención. YouTube. 2 June 2021. 24 July 2021.
  16. Web site: Convencionales y revelación de Rodrigo Rojas Vade: es un "grave daño a la fe pública" y "se equivocó gravemente". El Mostrador. 6 September 2021. 9 September 2021.
  17. Web site: Carol Bown y caso Rojas Vade: «Estoy sorprendida y desilusionada, pero no creo que haya que hacer un tema de esto. Hay mucho que avanzar». Radio Futuro. 6 September 2021. 9 September 2021.
  18. Web site: La UDI y la Lista del Pueblo, cara a cara: El futuro de Carabineros según Carol Bown y Rodrigo Rojas Vade. Chilevisión. 17 June 2021. 9 September 2021.
  19. Web site: La trastienda del encuentro cercano entre la ex subsecretaria de Piñera y el activista de la primera línea. El Líbero. 20 June 2021. 9 September 2021.
  20. Web site: Escándalo en Chile por constituyente y líder de las protestas que simuló tener cáncer. El Comercio. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021.
  21. Web site: Polémica en Chile por constituyente y líder de protestas que simuló cáncer. Infobae. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021.
  22. Web site: Escándalo en Chile: un político fingió estar enfermo de cáncer. Infobae. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021.
  23. Web site: Uno de los vicepresidentes de la Constituyente engaña a Chile con un falso cáncer. El País. 5 September 2021. 5 September 2021.
  24. Web site: Renuncia un vicepresidente de la Convención Constitucional de Chile tras fingir un cáncer. France 24. 6 September 2021. 6 September 2021.
  25. Web site: Chilean constituent who faked cancer resigns as vice-president of body drafting new Constitution. The Rio Times. 6 September 2021. 6 September 2021.
  26. Web site: One of the vice presidents of the Constituent Assembly deceives Chile with a false cancer. Market Research Telecast. 6 September 2021. 6 September 2021.
  27. Web site: Elisa Loncón declaró ante la PDI en calidad de denunciante por caso Rojas Vade. Radio Bío-Bío. 8 September 2021. 14 September 2021.
  28. Web site: Pueblo Constituyente anuncia expulsión de Rojas Vade y decide dejar vacante su cupo en la vicepresidencia. Radio Bío-Bío. 8 September 2021. 14 September 2021.
  29. Web site: Pueblo Constituyente informó que Rodrigo Rojas Vade ya no pertenece a la agrupación: "Los hechos que se le imputan son graves". El Mostrador. 8 September 2021. 14 September 2021.
  30. Web site: Rodrigo Rojas Vade renuncia a la Convención Constitucional: "No volveré a asistir o participar de ninguna otra votación, independiente de mi estado de salud". La Tercera. 20 September 2021. 20 September 2021.
  31. Web site: Palacios . Cristóbal . 2022-03-12 . Rojas Vade hace oficial su renuncia a la Convención Constitucional . 2023-05-15 . La Tercera.

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