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| Paola Tapia | |
|---|---|
| Name | Paola Tapia |
| Birth date | 1975 |
| Birth place | Santiago, Chile |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Civil Engineer, Politician |
| Office | Minister of Transport and Telecommunications |
| Term start | 2018 |
| Term end | 2019 |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Chile |
Paola Tapia is a Chilean lawyer and civil engineer who served as Minister of Transport and Telecommunications in the administration of President Sebastián Piñera from 2018 to 2019. Her professional profile combines technical training in civil engineering with legal expertise in infrastructure regulation, public procurement, and administrative law, gained in public agencies and private firms across Santiago. Tapia's tenure addressed urban mobility, regulatory frameworks for telecommunications, and infrastructure project oversight, drawing attention from municipal authorities, industry associations, and international observers.
Born in Santiago, Tapia completed formative studies in the Chilean capital before pursuing higher education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile. At the Pontifical Catholic University she studied civil engineering, engaging with departments linked to Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Faculty of Engineering and participating in technical seminars alongside representatives from Ministry of Public Works (Chile), Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Chile), and municipal engineers from Santiago, Chile. Her legal studies at the University of Chile concentrated on administrative and regulatory law, intersecting with coursework involving the Supreme Court of Chile and the Public Ministry (Chile). During her academic years Tapia was exposed to dialogues involving urban planners from National Urban Development Service (Serviu), transport researchers from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Institute of Transport and policy analysts from Centro de Estudios Públicos.
Tapia's professional trajectory spans law firms, engineering consultancies, and public service. She worked on regulatory matters with consultancies that advised municipal governments such as Municipality of Santiago, Municipality of Valparaíso, and Municipality of Concepción on procurement and concession contracts tied to projects by CONAF and Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado. In administrative proceedings she interfaced with institutions including the Contraloría General de la República de Chile, the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuel (SEC), and the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Subtel). Her consultancy portfolio included advising bidders for infrastructure concessions overseen by Ministry of Public Works (Chile) and regulatory compliance work related to networks managed by Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) and utilities linked to Enel Chile.
Tapia also held positions within public entities where she was involved in drafting norms, evaluating environmental impact statements interacting with the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), and negotiating agreements with transportation companies such as Metro de Santiago and interurban operators regulated by the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (Chile). Her legal practice connected her to law offices that represented corporate clients like Codelco, Antofagasta Minerals, and infrastructure consortia participating in toll road concessions with agencies including Dirección de Obras Portuarias.
Tapia entered public office during a period marked by debates over transport policy, urban expansion, and digital connectivity in Chile. Her appointment as Minister of Transport and Telecommunications by President Sebastián Piñera placed her within a cabinet alongside ministers from portfolios such as Ministry of Interior and Public Security (Chile), Ministry of Finance (Chile), and Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Chile). Politically, she engaged with parliamentary committees of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies and the Chilean Senate responsible for infrastructure, collaborating with lawmakers from coalitions like Chile Vamos and oppositional groups including Socialist Party of Chile and Party for Democracy (Chile) on legislative dossiers concerning concessions and mobility regulation.
Her interactions extended to international fora, coordinating with delegations from organizations such as the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and urban networks like Metropolis (network) and Urban Transport Group. Tapia negotiated with regional governors from Valparaíso Region and Biobío Region, and worked with mayors including the officeholders of Providencia, Chile and Las Condes to align metropolitan transport initiatives with municipal plans.
As Minister, Tapia prioritized modernization of transport infrastructure, expansion of public transit capacity, and regulatory updates for telecommunications. She oversaw programs impacting entities such as Metro de Santiago, Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado, and intermodal terminals connected to the Port of Valparaíso. Her ministry advanced projects in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works (Chile) and regulatory adjustments involving the Subsecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) and the Undersecretariat of Transport (Chile), while responding to incidents affecting safety standards monitored by the National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry.
In telecommunications, Tapia's agenda addressed spectrum management, digital inclusion initiatives, and oversight of private carriers like Entel (Chile), Movistar Chile, and Claro Chile, aligning with national plans linked to the Digital Agenda Chile and collaborative efforts with the International Telecommunication Union. Her term included negotiations over concession renewals, tariff frameworks, and contingency responses to transport disruptions involving contractors and concessionaires such as Autopistas Metropolitanas.
Her ministerial period coincided with public scrutiny over infrastructure delivery, eliciting engagement with civil society organizations like Observatorio Nacional del Transporte and legal challenges presented before the Supreme Court of Chile. She also participated in bilateral meetings with counterparts from countries including Argentina, Peru, and Spain to discuss cross-border transport and telecommunications cooperation.
After leaving the ministry, Tapia returned to advisory roles in consultancy, academia, and public debate. She has lectured at institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile, contributing to seminars alongside figures from Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas and policy centers like Centro de Estudios Públicos and Libertad y Desarrollo. Tapia has served on corporate and nonprofit boards, advising firms in infrastructure and telecommunications that interact with stakeholders including BancoEstado, Corfo, and regional chambers of commerce such as the National Association of Municipalities of Chile.
Her public engagement includes participation in conferences organized by entities like the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and commentary in media outlets including El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, and broadcast outlets that cover debates on mobility and digital policy. She remains a reference for discussions on concession models, regulatory reform, and urban mobility planning in Chile.
Category:Chilean politicians Category:Transport ministers of Chile