Pablo Wagner | |
|---|---|
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| Undersecretary of Mining | |
| In office 20 June 2020 – 11 March 2022 | |
| President | Sebastián Piñera |
| Preceded by | Verónica Baraona del Pedregal |
| Succeeded by | Francisco Orrego Bauzá |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1970-06-29)29 June 1970 (age 55) |
| Political party | Independent Democratic Union |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Engineer |
Pablo Guillermo Wagner San Martín (June 29, 1970) is a Chilean commercial engineer, businessman, and politician. After a long period in the private sector, he wasUndersecretary of Mining in the first government of PresidentSebastián Piñera between 2010 and 2012. In 2017 he was indicted for repeated bribery and money laundering offenses in thePenta case, being finally convicted in July 2018 as perpetrator of repeated tax offenses and relevant and unjustified capital increase.[1]
He began his working life as head of corporate marketing at Cristalerías de Chile, after which he moved toEmpresas Penta as project manager between 1998 and 2000, and then as manager of planning and development ofBanmédica, between 2000 and 2009. He developed a close relationship with businessmanCarlos Alberto Délano, one of the group's main shareholders.[2]
He was on the board of AFP Cuprum between 2001 and 2010, and was appointed vice chairman of the board in 2007, while the company was then chaired byErnesto Silva Bafalluy.[2] He was also a director of Isapre Cruz Blanca, a position he resigned from in 2014.[3]
In the late 1980s, he joined the conservativeIndependent Democratic Union (UDI). He was known for followingJaime Guzmán's political ideas andMiguel Kast's economic views. Some of his close friends during his early years in the party wereRodrigo Álvarez andDarío Paya. At the beginning of the 1990s, he was part of two youth directives in the party. Later, he became a member of the party's Political Commission.[2]
In 2010, afterSebastián Piñera's victory in the2009–2010 presidential election, he was appointed as theUndersecretary of Mining, withLaurence Golborne serving as the Minister. His administration is best remembered for therescue of the 33 miners who were trapped in theSan José Mine. However, his stint ended abruptly in October 2012 when the tender for the exploitation of lithium deposits was annulled. This was due to the non-compliance of the winning company,Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM), with the terms and conditions.[4][5][6]