Santiago (commune)
The Commune of Santiago is the central commune of the Santiago Province, located at the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region in Chile's Central Zone. Locally, Santiago is usually abbreviated Stgo. It is also called as "Santiago Centro" in order to differentiate it from Greater Santiago, a larger entity which includes the Santiago commune along with 36 other communes. With a population of 438,856, it is the 3rd-largest commune in Chile.
History
At the time of its founding in 1541, the territory corresponding to the city of Santiago was completely contained in what is now known as the commune of Santiago, so it is common to affirm that the founding date of the commune of Santiago is the same as that of the city, although the term "commune" began to be used many years later when the city far exceeded its original limits. Thus, the commune of Santiago shares its history with the first decades of the city of the same name, encompassing the oldest part of the city — that enclosed by old rail lines — including downtown, and houses all major government infrastructure, including the government palace La Moneda.Administration
As a commune, Santiago is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by a mayor who is directly elected every four years. For the 2024-2028 term, the mayor is Mario Desbordes Jiménez, and the communal council has the following members:- Luis Mackenna Irarrázaval
- Vicente Martínez Álvarez
- Carolina Prieto Núñez
- Dafne Concha Ferrando
- Camila Davagnino Reyes
- Ana Yáñez Varas
- Juan Mena Echeverría
- Santiago Mekis Arnolds
- María José Ramírez Calquin
- Claudia Ramírez Martínez