Secretarios

Secretarios is the plural form of the term secretary, used in Spanish-speaking contexts to refer to individuals who perform secretarial duties, act as assistants, or hold official positions as secretaries to a person, body or organization. The term covers a range of roles from private secretaries who manage daily administrative tasks to officials who support governmental or corporate bodies.

Etymology and history place the office of secretary in medieval and early modern administrations. From Latin secretarius, the word originally designated a trusted keeper of confidential documents and correspondence for rulers, churches, and administrations. Over time, the role broadened to include administrative coordination, record keeping, and communications, expanding beyond purely private or confidential tasks.

In everyday, organizational, and corporate settings, secretarios are commonly responsible for managing correspondence, scheduling, filing, document preparation, minutes of meetings, and general office administration. In larger organizations, the position of secretary to the board or corporate secretary often encompasses governance tasks such as compliance, record maintenance, and coordination of board activities, while still handling routine administrative duties.

In government and public administration, the term is used for senior officials who lead or assist a ministry or department. Depending on the country, a secretario can be equivalent to a minister or to a high-ranking administrator who oversees policy development, public affairs, and administration within a specific sector, such as education, finance, or health.

Qualifications for secretarios typically include training in secretarial studies, office management, or related fields, with increasing emphasis on digital literacy, communication skills, and organizational competence. The feminine form secretaria is also used, and the plural secretarios covers both professional sexes.