Luis Valdés Larraín
Luis Valdés Larraín | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 15 May 1945 – 15 May 1965 | |
| Constituency | 8th Departmental Grouping |
| Mayor of Buin | |
| In office 1941–1945 | |
| Councillor of Buin | |
| In office 1940–1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 10, 1913 |
| Died | February 2, 2004 (aged 90) |
| Party | Conservative Party United Conservative Party National Party |
| Spouse | Teresa Covarrubias Sánchez (m. 1940) |
| Children | María Teresa, José Luis, María Eugenia |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Occupation | Lawyer and politician |
Luis Valdés Larraín (10 May 1913 – 2 February 2004) was a Chilean lawyer, farmer and politician, member successively of the Conservative Party, the United Conservative Party and the National Party.
He served as Deputy of the Republic for the 8th Departmental Grouping (Melipilla, San Antonio, San Bernardo and Maipo) for five consecutive legislative terms between 1945 and 1965.[1]
Early life and education
Born in Santiago on 10 May 1913, he was the son of Luis Valdés Dávila and Ana María Larraín Bulnes. He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones de Santiago and later earned his law degree at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, graduating in 1940 with a thesis entitled El sufragio: doctrinas y sistemas, evolución política y electoral de Chile; las modernas tendencias.
He married Teresa Covarrubias Sánchez on 22 June 1940, with whom he had three children. In addition to his legal career, he was an agricultural entrepreneur and landowner in Buin and Llay-Llay, managing the “Cervera” estate since 1939.[2]
Political career
Valdés began his public career as municipal councillor of Buin (1940–1941) and later as its mayor (1941–1945). He was a founding member and first president of the Juventud Conservadora (Conservative Youth).
In 1945, he was elected Deputy for the 8th Departmental Grouping (Melipilla, San Antonio, San Bernardo and Maipo), being successively re-elected in 1949, 1953, 1957 and 1961. Over his five terms, he served on the Permanent Committees on Public Education, Foreign Relations, National Defence, and Internal Government.
He was vice-president of the Conservative Party (1952–1960) and, after the 1953 reorganization, assumed the presidency of the United Conservative Party (1964–1965). Under his leadership, the party took part in the negotiations that led to the creation of the National Party in 1966.[3]
Other activities
Parallel to his political work, Valdés participated actively in business and civic institutions. He was a member and director of the National Agricultural Society (SNA) since 1950, a member of the Club de la Unión, and a director of the Sociedad de Instrucción Primaria of Santiago.
Between 1967 and 1973 he ran the real estate brokerage “Larraín, Valdivieso y Silva”. He was decorated with the Legion of Honour of France for his studies and publications concerning the Algerian question.
He died in Santiago on 2 February 2004 at the age of 90.
References
- ^ "Parliamentary Biography: Luis Valdés Larraín". Library of the National Congress of Chile. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Castillo Infante, Fernando (1996). Diccionario Histórico y Biográfico de Chile. Santiago: Editorial Zig-Zag.
- ^ "Luis Valdés Larraín, elected new president of the United Conservative Party" (PDF). La Nación. 13 April 1964. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
Bibliography
- Fernando Castillo Infante, Diccionario Histórico y Biográfico de Chile, Editorial Zig-Zag, Santiago, 1996.
- Luis Valencia Avaria, Anales de la República: textos constitucionales de Chile y registro de los ciudadanos que han integrado los Poderes Ejecutivo y Legislativo desde 1810, Editorial Andrés Bello, Santiago, 1986.
- La Nación (13 April 1964). “Luis Valdés Larraín, elegido nuevo presidente del Partido Conservador Unido,” p. 13.