National Congress of Chile: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile.

It is a bicameral legislature, comprising:

• The Senate (upper house)
• The Chamber of Deputies (lower house)

The organisation of Congress and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of the current constitution. Congress meets in the Chile Congress building, which was built during the last years of the Pinochet regime and stands in the port city of Valparaíso, some 140 km west of the capital, Santiago. This new bulding replaced the old National Congress, located in downtown Santiago.