Wilson Santamaría

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Santamaría and the second or maternal family name is Choque.

Wilson Pedro Santamaría Choque (born 9 September 1981) is a Bolivian lawyer, politician, and sociologist who served as vice minister of public security from 2019 to 2020. A graduate of the Higher University of San Andrés with extensive postgraduate studies, Santamaría entered the political field as a partisan of the National Unity Front and served as the party's municipal leader for La Paz. In 2014, he was elected as a party-list member of the Chamber of Deputies, representing the La Paz Department from 2015 to 2019.

Wilson Santamaría
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of Government
Acting
In office 19 October 2020 – 20 October 2020
President	Jeanine Áñez
Preceded by	Arturo Murillo
Succeeded by	Arturo Murillo
Vice Minister of Public Security
In office 19 November 2019 – 5 November 2020
President	Jeanine Áñez
Minister	Arturo Murillo
Preceded by	Wilfredo Chávez
Succeeded by	Gonzalo Lazcano
Member of the Chamber of Deputies from La Paz
In office 18 January 2015 – 19 November 2019
Substitute	Rufina Cladera
Preceded by	Ana María Sempértegui
Succeeded by	Rufina Cladera
Constituency	Party list
Personal details
Born	Wilson Pedro Santamaría Choque (1981-09-09) 9 September 1981 (age 42) La Paz, Bolivia
Political party	Somos Pueblo (from 2019)
Other political affiliations	National Unity Front (until 2019)
Alma mater	Higher University of San Andrés
Occupation	Lawyer politician sociologist

In parliament, Santamaría split with National Unity, reorienting himself towards the Social Democratic Movement and establishing a close personal relationship with colleague Rafael Quispe, whose party, Somos Pueblo, he joined. Following a failed second term bird in 2019, Santamaría entered the Áñez administration as vice minister of public security and served briefly as acting minister of government for a day between the removal and reinstatement of Arturo Murillo. Upon the conclusion of his tenure, Santamaría supported the gubernatorial campaign of Quispe and ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the La Paz Departmental Legislative Assembly.

Early life and education

Wilson Santamaría was born on 9 September 1981 in La Paz. He graduated as a lawyer and sociologist from the Higher University of San Andrés and received a diploma in higher education from the institute's Center for Psychopedagogy and Research in Higher Education. He later completed specialization courses in public administration and economic development at the University of Valle and Bolivian Catholic University, respectively, before traveling abroad to Spain, where he received a master's in development planning and sustainable management.^[1][2]

Chamber of Deputies

Election

Further information: 2014 Bolivian general election

An active partisan of the National Unity Front (UN), Santamaría served as the party's municipal leader for La Paz.^[3] In 2014, he was elected to represent the Department of La Paz in the Chamber of Deputies on behalf of the Democratic Unity (UD) coalition, an alliance between UN and the Social Democratic Movement (MDS).^[1] As part of their shared pact, UN and the MDS had given one another ample autonomy to define their own electoral lists in the regions where they held the highest presence, giving La Paz-based UN greater sway over UD's candidates in the department.^[4]

Tenure

Entering parliament, Santamaría was selected to serve as deputy leader of the UD caucus for the 2016–2017 term.^[5] Promoted to full leader the following year,^[6] Santamaría's term contended with the eternal divisions of the UD caucus, a grouping that operated less as a unified force and more as a collection of competing parties.^[7] Given the task of wrangling opposing factions, Santamaría faced criticism for his apathetic leadership style, opting to travel abroad while legislators back home squabbled amongst themselves over important committee assignments.^[8]

As his term went on, Santamaría progressively disassociated himself from UN. He resigned as the party's municipal leader in 2018 and ceased participating in internal party meetings altogether just a few months later.^[9] Simultaneously, he also developed relations with partisans of the MDS, supporting the election of one of its members, Gonzalo Barrientos, to succeed him as caucus leader.^[10] However, Santamaría's most important relationships were with other independently-minded UD deputies. In particular, he, along with Amilcar Barral and Rafael Quispe, were noted as having "closed ranks as a trio," with the former two having previously defended Quispe in court years prior.^[11] When Santamaría definitively split from UN in early 2019,^[12] he did not join the MDS but rather became a member of Quispe's party, Somos Pueblo.^[13][14]

With the campaign underway for the 2019 general election, Santamaría and Quispe joined forces with the MDS to support the presidential candidacy of Oscar Ortiz.^[14] While Quispe bided his time with a view toward contesting the La Paz governorship,^[15] Santamaría sought reelection to the Chamber of Deputies.^[16] However, he was denied a second term at the ballot box amid a nationwide underperformance for the MDS, which took home fourth nationally and dropped to fifth in La Paz.^[17][18]

Commission assignments

• Constitution, Legislation, and Electoral System Commission
  • Democracy and Electoral System Committee (2016–2019)^[19][20][21]
• Planning, Economic Policy, and Finance Commission
  • Science and Technology Committee (2019)^[22]
• Territorial Organization of the State and Autonomies Commission
  • Rural Native Indigenous Autonomies Committee (2015–2016)^[23]

Later political career

 

Santamaría delivers remarks to media outlets at a press conference.

Despite the loss, Santamaría's political prospects soon rebounded as allegations of electoral fraud provoked the collapse of the Evo Morales administration. Following the accession of MDS Senator Jeanine Áñez to the presidency,^[24] Santamaría was appointed to serve in the Ministry of Government as vice minister of public security.^[25] His yearlong tenure was exceptionally busy, as he oversaw efforts to maintain public security amid continued social unrest,^[26] attempts by the transitional government to detain and prosecute former ruling party officials,^[27] and, later, state enforcement of quarantine measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as routine work to crack down on crime and delinquency.^[28][29]

 

Quispe and Santamaría were frequent political collaborators.

Right-hand to Minister Arturo Murillo,^[30] Santamaría assumed office as acting minister of government following Murillo's censure and removal by the Legislative Assembly.^[31] Despite initial expectations that he would remain in the position for the duration of the transition,^[32] Santamaría ultimately held the post for just one day,^[33] as Áñez soon reversed course and reappointed Murillo.^[34] As the transitional government's work drew to a close, Santamaría submitted his resignation on 5 November, leaving office a few days before the formal transition of power.^[33]

With his vice-ministerial tenure concluded, Santamaría returned to electoral politics, participating in the launch of Rafael Quispe's 2021 gubernatorial bid.^[35][36] For the accompanying municipal election, Santamaría was considered as a possible La Paz mayoral candidate on behalf of Somos Pueblo. He came close to receiving the nomination, appearing on Quispe's shortlist of potential candidates, alongside Eduardo León and Iván Arias,^[37] who ultimately won the nomination and, later, the mayoralty.^[38][39] Blocked out of contesting the mayoralty himself, Santamaría instead accompanied Quispe in the gubernatorial race, seeking a seat in the La Paz Departmental Legislative Assembly. Although Somos Pueblo's not-insignificant third-place finish did net it representation in the legislature, Santamaría's bottom-of-the-list placement on the party's electoral slate meant that he was not among those elected.^[40][41]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Wilson Santamaría

Year	Office	Party		Alliance		Votes			Result	Ref.
						Total	%	P.
2014	Deputy		National Unity Front		Democratic Unity	215,360	14.75%	2nd^[α]	Won	^[42]
2019			Somos Pueblo		Bolivia Says No	19,892	1.19%	5th^[α]	Annulled	^[43]
2021	Assemblyman		Somos Pueblo		PBC-SP	222,170	20.87%	3rd^[α]	Lost	^[44]
Source: Plurinational Electoral Organ | Electoral Atlas

References

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilson Santamaría.

Notes

1. Presented on an electoral list. The data shown represents the share of the vote the entire party/alliance received in that constituency.

Footnotes

1. Romero Ballivián 2018, p. 552.
2. "Wilson Pedro Santamaría Choque". vicepresidencia.gob.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Vice Presidency. from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
3. "Wilson Santamaría renuncia a la jefatura municipal de UN en La Paz" (in Spanish). La Paz. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 3 May 2018. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
4. Vacaflor, Nancy (28 June 2014). "Opositores alistan renuncias para candidatear en elecciones". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
5. "Lourdes Millares es la nueva jefa de bancada de UD en la Cámara de Diputados". eju! (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 23 January 2016. from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
6. "Santamaría es elegido jefe de bancada de diputados en UD". ERBOL (in Spanish). La Paz. 18 January 2017. from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
7. Ortiz, Pablo (5 February 2019). "La bancada de Unidad Demócrata se desarma en el último año de mandato". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
8. "Demócratas protestan contra su jefe de bancada por viajar cuando se debía conformar comisiones" (in Spanish). La Paz. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 1 February 2017. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
9. "Diputado Santamaría toma distancia de Unidad Nacional". El Diario (in Spanish). La Paz. 18 May 2018. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
10. "Barrientos dice que él es el jefe de bancada de UD en la Cámara de Diputados" (in Spanish). La Paz. Urgente.bo. 1 February 2018. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
11. "Barral, Santamaría y Quispe: De amigos a rivales políticos" (in Spanish). La Paz. Urgente.bo. 27 March 2019. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
12. "Diputado Santamaría formalizará su alejamiento definitivo de UN". Opinión (in Spanish). Cochabamba. 21 January 2019. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
13. Carballo, María (27 July 2018). "Quispe se aleja de UD y lidera un grupo que busca la Gobernación". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
14. Guarachi, Ángel (25 March 2019). "Los opositores Quispe y Santamaría firman acuerdo y apoyan la candidatura de Oscar Ortiz". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
15. Ariñez, Rubén (30 September 2019). "Quispe lanza su candidatura para la Gobernación de La Paz por el frente Pueblo". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
16. Layme, Beatriz (23 July 2019). "Gente de confianza de los jefes figura en la franja de seguridad". Página Siete. La Paz. from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
17. "Oscar Ortiz da su apoyo a Mesa 'sin ninguna condición'". ERBOL (in Spanish). La Paz. 20 October 2019. from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
18. "El MAS gana en La Paz, Cochabamba, Pando, y CC en Tarija y Santa Cruz". La Patria (in Spanish). Oruro. 24 October 2019. from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
19. Chamber of Deputies [@Diputados_Bol] (27 January 2016). "La Cámara de Diputados conformó sus 12 Comisiones y 37 Comités: Gestión Legislativa 2016–2017" (Tweet) (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022 – via Twitter.
20. Chamber of Deputies [@Diputados_Bol] (31 January 2017). "La Cámara de Diputados conformó sus 12 Comisiones y 37 Comités: Gestión Legislativa 2017–2018" (Tweet) (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022 – via Twitter.
21. . diputados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Chamber of Deputies. 1 February 2018. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
22. . diptuados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Chamber of Deputies. 24 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
23. . diputados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Chamber of Deputies. 29 January 2015. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
24. Paredes, Iván Alejandro (2 February 2020). "Demócratas renace y gobierna en el país después un duro golpe electoral". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
25. "Wilson Santamaría asume como viceministro de Seguridad Ciudadana". ERBOL (in Spanish). La Paz. 19 November 2019. from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
26. "Casi el 100% de las carreteras del país están transitables". Correo del Sur (in Spanish). Sucre. El Deber. 15 August 2020. from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
27. "Bolivia 'no permitirá' que México ayude a escapar a los refugiados en embajada". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 24 December 2019. from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
28. "Santamaría cree que se cumple de manera correcta con la cuarentena". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 19 March 2020. from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
29. "Wilson Santamaría renuncia a su cargo como viceministro de Seguridad Ciudadana" (in Spanish). La Paz. Urgente.bo. 5 November 2020. from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
30. "Wilson Santamaría, mano derecha de Arturo Murillo, fue detenido por conducir en estado de ebriedad". ATB (in Spanish). La Paz. 25 October 2020. from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
31. "Posesionaron a Santamaría como titular de Gobierno". El Diario (in Spanish). La Paz. 20 October 2020. from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
32. "Nuevo ministro de Gobierno asume 'con profundo compromiso' su designación". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 19 October 2020. from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
33. "Wilson Santamaría deja el viceministerio de Seguridad Ciudadana". Correo del Sur (in Spanish). Sucre. 4 November 2020. from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
34. "Áñez desafía a la Asamblea y restituye a Murillo y al ministro de Educación tras su moción de censura". Europa Press (in Spanish). Madrid. 21 October 2020. from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
35. Melendres Galvis, Miguel Angel (4 November 2020). "Tata Quispe renuncia a su viceministerio e inaugura su Casa de Campaña para las subnacionales". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
36. "Santamaría asegura que en su gestión bajó la delincuencia al 50%" (in Spanish). La Paz. Urgente.bo. 5 November 2020. from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
37. "Quispe analiza entre Arias, Santamaría o León como posibles candidatos a la alcaldía de La Paz" (in Spanish). La Paz. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 4 December 2020. from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
38. "Quispe y Arias lanzan en conjunto sus candidaturas con Somos Pueblo". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. ERBOL. 28 December 2020. from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
39. Segales, Erika (8 March 2021). "Con sus zapatos en alto, Arias promete una gestión de a pie". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
40. "Lista Final de Candidaturas Habilitadas de las Organizaciones Políticas y Alianzas en La Paz: Por el Bien Común – Somos Pueblo" (PDF). oep.org.bo. Plurinational Electoral Organ. 2021. p. 11. (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
41. "Publicación de Resultados, Primera Vuelta y Segunda Vuelta: Elección de Autoridades Políticas Departamentales, Regionales y Municipales 2021" (PDF). oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. 1 March 2021. p. 10. (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
42. "Elecciones Generales 2014 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
43. "Publicación de Resultados Nacionales: Elecciones Generales 2019" (PDF). www.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). Plurinational Electoral Organ. 2019. p. 9. (PDF) from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
44. "Elección de Asambleístas por Población 2021 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2022.

Bibliography

• Romero Ballivián, Salvador (2018). Quiroga Velasco, Camilo Sergio (ed.). Diccionario Biográfico de Parlamentarios 1979–2019 (in Spanish) (2nd ed.). La Paz: Fundación de Apoyo al Parlamento y la Participación Ciudadana; Fundación Konrad Adenauer. p. 552. ISBN 978-99974-0-021-5. OCLC 1050945993 – via ResearchGate.

External links

• Parliamentary profile Office of the Vice President (in Spanish).
• Chamber of Deputies (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 September 2019.