Rojas is nicknamed Pelao Vade (bald Vade)[10] 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.[11] He is openly
gay.[12][13]
During his campaign in 2021, Rojas used his false diagnosis of
cancer.[6] 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.[14] 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.[7]
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.[3]
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.[6] 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]
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abSéptimo Juzgado de Garantía de Santiago (13 February 2023). "Sentencia en procedimiento simplificado causa RIT: O-13437-2021 RUC: 2100807673-9". Consulta Unificada del Poder Judicial de Chile.