Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (born June 24, 1942) was President of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He is a civil engineer, and currently serves as a life Senator.

Background

Eduardo Frei was born in Santiago to Eduardo Frei Montalva and María Ruiz-Tagle. His father also was president from 1964 to 1970. He received all his schooling at the Instituto Luis Campino. He then attended the University of Chile, where he graduated as a Civil Engineer, specializing in hydraulics. After graduation, he followed advanced courses in management in Italy.

He took his first steps in politics while at the university, where he was a student leader. In 1958, he joined the Christian Democrat party, and in 1964, participated actively in his father's successful presidential campaign. Between 1969 and 1988 he concentrated on the exercise of his profession, as one of the partners of Sigdo Koppers S.A., the largest engineering company in Chile.

In 1988 he founded and promoted the "Comité Pro Elecciones Libres" ("Committee for the promotion of free elections".) In 1989 he was elected Senator for Santiago, obtaining the highest amount of votes in the whole country. In the Senate, he presided over the Treasury and budget commission, and was a member of the Housing commission.

In 1992 participated in the primary presidential elections of his coalition, where he defeated Ricardo Lagos, and then went on to win the presidential elections in 1993, where he defeated by a huge majority Arturo Alessandri Cohn , the representative of the Alianza por Chile . He took office on March 11, 1994.

External links

• Official Biography (in Spanish)