In the second round of the 2026 Universidad de Santiago de Chile (Usach) rector elections—held after the first round among three candidates and amid a legal challenge from an excluded contender—Pedro Palominos, a doctor in industrial engineering, won with 52.2% of the votes. He defeated Cristián Muñoz and will serve from 2026 to 2030, succeeding the annulled tenure of Rodrigo Vidal. In his victory speech, Palominos called for unity and pledged to elevate Usach as a top state university.
The runoff election took place on April 29, following the first round that began earlier in April after the Tricel annulled Rodrigo Vidal's November 2025 victory due to voter roll issues.
Running under a 'New university pact' emphasizing internal justice and dialogue, Palominos prevailed. In his speech, he urged institutional unity and outlined priorities including academic excellence, financial sustainability, and a stronger public role for Usach. “This is a new step, a new stage for our university, where we want more communication, to be centered on people, and to have transparency,” he stated.
Palominos aims to position Usach as one of Chile's leading state universities, driven by research. He promised a 'war against bureaucracy' via administrative digitization to accelerate knowledge production.
Amid fiscal cuts under President José Antonio Kast, he declared the university community cannot absorb further reductions. Usach will reclaim its political voice, coordinating with Cuech and Cruch, and dialoguing with authorities.
