Leonidas Romero

{{Short description|Chilean politician (born 1955)}}

{{family name hatnote|Romero|Sáez|lang=Spanish}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Leonidas Romero

| image = Leonidas_Romero_Sáez.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1955|10|15}}

| birth_place = Lota, Chile

| office = Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile

| constituency = Bío Bío Region
(20th District)

| term_start = 11 March 2018

| term_end =

| predecessor = Creation of the District

| successor =

| office1 = Mayor of Coronel

| term_start1 = 6 December 2008

| term_end1 = 6 December 2012

| predecessor1 = René Carvajal

| successor1 = Boris Chamorro

| party = National Libertarian Party (2025−)

| otherparty = {{Unbulleted list|Independent Democratic Union
(1991–2016)|Renovación Nacional
(2016–2021)|Republican Party
(2021–2023)}}

| occupation = Politician

| parents =

| spouse =

| children = One

| footnotes =

}}

Leonidas Romero Sáez (born 15 October 1955) is a Chilean evangelical politician and member of the Chamber of Deputies. A member of the National Libertarian Party since 2025,{{Cite web|url=https://www.latercera.com/la-tercera-pm/noticia/diputado-leonidas-romero-tras-salida-de-bancada-republicana-a-algunos-parece-que-les-molestaba-mi-forma-de-ser-me-senti-incomodo/B5REUAT4DFAJ5OHOQICOMV2HLA/|title=Diputado Leonidas Romero tras su salida de la bancada republicana: a algunos parece que les molestaba mi forma de ser y me sentí incómodo|publisher=La Tercera|date=15 May 2023|accessdate=25 January 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-del-bio-bio/2024/01/10/tendra-que-demostrar-su-inocencia-diputado-romero-tras-allanamiento-a-casa-de-su-hermano-en-coronel.shtml|title="Tendrá que demostrar su inocencia": diputado Romero tras allanamiento a casa de su hermano en Coronel|publisher=Radio Bío-Bío|date=10 January 2024|accessdate=25 January 2024}} he previously served as the mayor of Coronel from 2008 to 2012.

He first attracted controversy in 2018, when he condemned then-president Sebastián Piñera's recognition of Daniela Vega; Romero declared "Vega a man. As far as I know, she has not had surgery, so she is still a man, she was born a man, her DNA is a man. If you [Piñera] insist that he is Daniela Vega, I am wrong, I was wrong to support you, I was wrong to vote for you."{{Cite news|title=Diputado RN le "para los carros" a Piñera: "Si insiste en que Daniela Vega es mujer, me equivoqué en apoyarlo"|url=https://www.publimetro.cl/cl/noticias/2018/05/29/diputado-rn-le-los-carros-pinera-insiste-daniela-vega-mujer-me-equivoque-apoyarlo.html|accessdate=June 1, 2018|publisher=Publimetro Chile|language=es-ES}} Although condemned by many politicians, including those in the Republican Party, Romero declared he did not regret his statements.{{cite news|title=Leonidas Romero por dichos contra Daniela Vega: Nació en el minuto y no me arrepiento|url=https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-del-bio-bio/2018/05/30/leonidas-romero-por-dichos-contra-daniela-vega-nacio-en-el-minuto-y-no-me-arrepiento.shtml|date=May 30, 2018|accessdate=June 1, 2018|publisher=Bío Bío|language=es-LA}} In 2021, he also opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in Chile, and was labled as "homophobic" by several media personalities.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adnradio.cl/tiempo-libre/2021/12/01/matrimonio-igualitario-pancho-saavedra-freno-a-diputado-por-su-postura.html|title=Pancho Saavedra frenó al diputado Leonidas Romero por su oposición al matrimonio igualitario|accessdate=2022-01-23|last=ADN|website=ADN|language=es}} Following this, he abandoned the Republicans, calling them "moderates" for compromising on the new constitutional process, and sat in Congress as an independent before joining the National Libertarian Party.