Hugo Rodríguez González (born 27 February 1963) is a Chilean Air Force officer who has served as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Air Force (FACh) since 2022. A military helicopter pilot, he previously served as commander of the Air Force Personnel Command and held senior appointments in intelligence, training and overseas operations.
Early life and education Rodríguez was born in San Fernando, Chile, on 27 February 1963. He entered the Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado Aviation School in 1982 and graduated with the rank of ensign on 1 January 1985. The following year, he qualified as a military pilot, specialising in helicopters.
Rodríguez qualified as a staff officer at the Air War Academy and as an aeronautical systems engineer, specialising as a military pilot. His professional training also included theoretical instruction on the Black Hawk in the United States and a combined air staff exercise course in Argentina.
Air Force career Rodríguez developed his operational career primarily as a helicopter pilot and instructor. He participated in missions in the South Pole, the Middle East and Haiti. Among the aircraft he has flown are the T-34, T-37, A-37, UH-1H, T-35, UH-60 and Bell 412.
In 2005, Rodríguez was appointed commander of Aviation Group No. 2, a helicopter unit of the Chilean Air Force. He later commanded the Air Force helicopter contingent deployed to Haiti as part of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in 2010.
In 2011, he was appointed air attaché at the Chilean embassy in Brazil. After returning to Chile, Rodríguez became director of the Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado Aviation School in 2013.
In 2014, he assumed command of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate and simultaneously served as commander of the Santiago General Air Garrison. He was promoted to Air Brigade General in 2016 and to Aviation General in 2018. That year, he was appointed commander of the Personnel Command, becoming one of the most senior officers in the service.
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force On 21 October 2022, President Gabriel Boric designated Rodríguez as the next Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Air Force, succeeding General Arturo Merino Núñez. His appointment was made for the four-year period from 5 November 2022 to 5 November 2026.
Rodríguez formally assumed command on 5 November 2022 and was promoted to the rank of General of the Air. At the time of his appointment, the Presidency highlighted his experience as an operational and instructor pilot and his participation in missions in Antarctica, the Middle East and Haiti.
As Commander-in-Chief, Rodríguez has headed the institutional high command and overseen the operational, personnel, logistical and strategic development of the Air Force. He remained Commander-in-Chief as part of the institution's approved high command for 2026.
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