La Segunda is a Chilean afternoon daily newspaper published in Santiago. Owned by El Mercurio SAP, it is published Monday through Friday and is distributed primarily in the Valparaíso, Metropolitan Santiago, and O'Higgins regions. It is generally regarded as a conservative and right-wing newspaper.
The newspaper originated in 1931 as an evening edition of Las Últimas Noticias, initially known as La Segunda de Las Últimas Noticias. Its first edition was an extraordinary late-night edition produced during the political crisis surrounding the fall of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
La Segunda became particularly controversial for its support of the 1973 military coup and subsequent military regime. Its coverage of the Operation Colombo disinformation campaign, particularly a 24 July 1975 front-page headline claiming that 59 members of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) had been killed in Argentina, has become one of the best-known examples of Chilean press involvement in the regime's propaganda.
History
Founding and early years
La Segunda originated as a second edition of the afternoon newspaper Las Últimas Noticias during the political crisis that accompanied the fall of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo in July 1931. A special late-night edition appeared on 26 July 1931, carrying news of the impending transfer of power. The publication subsequently developed into a regular evening newspaper and became known as La Segunda de Las Últimas Noticias.
The newspaper is part of El Mercurio SAP, one of Chile's major newspaper companies. Academic studies of the Chilean press have included La Segunda among the country's principal newspapers in the context of concentrated media ownership.
Political role during the dictatorship
La Segunda was opposed to the government of Salvador Allende and supported the military regime that came to power following the 11 September 1973 coup. During the dictatorship, the newspaper published material that contributed to the regime's propaganda and disinformation efforts.
The newspaper's most notorious episode occurred during Operation Colombo, a 1975 disinformation operation concerning 119 Chileans who had been detained and disappeared by agents of the regime. On 24 July 1975, La Segunda published the front-page headline "Exterminados como ratones" ("Exterminated like rats"), reporting that 59 Chilean MIR members had been killed in a military operation in Argentina. The account was based on a fabricated narrative that the disappeared had died abroad as a result of internal conflicts or clashes with security forces. The 119 people were subsequently established to have been victims of the Chilean dictatorship's repression, rather than deaths in the alleged foreign confrontations.
The episode has remained a significant part of the newspaper's historical reputation. In the decades since the dictatorship, the publication has been subject to criticism and legal actions relating to its coverage of Operation Colombo.
Later development
In 1981, journalist Cristián Zegers took over as director of La Segunda and sought to reshape the newspaper into a publication focused more heavily on political and economic reporting. Pilar Vergara, who had joined the newspaper alongside Zegers in 1981, later became director in 2006 when Zegers moved to El Mercurio. She remained in the position until 2011.
Vergara was succeeded by Víctor Carvajal Navarrete, who had previously worked as the newspaper's subdirector.
In April 2012, La Segunda reintroduced a Saturday edition, published in the morning.
The newspaper underwent a redesign in June 2014, with greater emphasis on analysis. In June 2020, it discontinued its Saturday print edition. Its digital and print offerings subsequently incorporated material from international publications, including The New York Times and the Financial Times. The newspaper's current digital edition includes sections and content from the Financial Times and The New York Times.
Since the 2000s, the newspaper has expanded its same-day distribution beyond Santiago to the Valparaíso and O'Higgins regions. It is primarily distributed in the Valparaíso, Metropolitan Santiago, and O'Higgins regions.
Directors
- Byron Gigoux James (1931–1958)
- Mario Carneyro Castro (1967–18 April 1977)
- Hermógenes Pérez de Arce Ibieta (1 August 1977–1981)
- Cristián Zegers Ariztía (1981–2006)
- Pilar Vergara Tagle (2006–30 September 2011)
- Víctor Carvajal Navarrete (1 October 2011–2014)
- Mauricio Gallardo Mendoza (7 July 2014–15 April 2026)
- Alejandro Fainé Maturana (16 April 2026–present)
