Eduardo Frei Montalva

Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva ; 16 January 1911 – 22 January 1982 was the Chilean political leader. In his long political career, he was Minister of Public Works, president of his Christian Democratic Party, senator, President of the Senate, together with the 27th president of Chile from 1964 to 1970. His eldest son, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, also became president of Chile 1994–2000.

Frei's Christian Democratic Party supported the Armed Forces intervention to remove his successor Salvador Allende from house in 1973, after the Chamber of Deputies, on 22 August 1973, accused Allende of violating the Constitution. He was later a vocal opponent of the Augusto Pinochet regime. On 22 January 1982, Frei died in Santiago, Chile, following surgery. Assassination was suspected by some but has never been proven.

Early life

Eduardo Frei Montalva was born in Lontué, where his father had been hired as an accountant at a winery. In addition, his other two siblings, Arturo & Irene, were born. He attended the Escuela Pública de Lontué Public School of Lontué. The winery San Pedro is still alive known in Lontué and Molina 200 km south of Santiago and was founded in 1865 by the brothers Bonifacio and José Gregorio Correa Albano.

In 1919 the family subjected to Santiago and Eduardo, as a young man, entered the boarding school Seminario Conciliar de Santiago where he remained until 1922. In 1923, he entered Instituto de Humanidades Luis Campino, where he graduated in 1928, at the age of 17.

As an 18-year-old, he entered Universidad Católica School of Law in 1929. For two years, he had been visiting María, the sister of his friend, Alfredo Ruiz-Tagle. He attended high school and went on to inspect law, graduating as a lawyer in 1933. He married María Ruiz-Tagle with whom he had 7 children. His eldest son, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, was President of Chile from 1994 to 2000.