Andrés Zaldívar facts for kids
José Andrés Rafael Zaldívar Larraín, born on March 18, 1936, is a well-known Chilean politician. People often call him El Chico Zaldívar, which means "Short Zaldívar," because of his height. He is a member of the Christian Democrat Party. His family has roots from the Basque region.
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Early Life and First Steps in Politics
Andrés Zaldívar was born in Santiago, Chile. He went to school at the Instituto Alonso de Ercilla in Santiago. Later, he studied law at the Universidad de Chile and finished in 1959.
His political journey started in 1952 when he joined the Conservative Party. While at university, he represented Chile at a big student meeting in Chicago in 1956. In 1957, he joined the Christian Democrat Party. He even led the youth section of the party for Santiago's Third District.
After becoming a lawyer, Zaldívar worked for the local government in Colina from 1959 to 1962. Then, he became a local police judge in La Cisterna.
Working in Government
Andrés Zaldívar held important roles in the government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva. From 1964 to 1967, he was the Undersecretary of Finance. This meant he helped manage the country's money. In 1968, he became the Minister of Finance. By 1970, he was in charge of both Finance and Economy.
During these years, he also worked with international groups. He was a governor for the Inter-American Development Bank. He also represented Chile in Washington D.C. and Caracas for economic and social committees.
When the Popular Unity government was in power (1970-1973), Zaldívar continued to be active in the Christian Democrat Party. He became a national counselor and a member of the Political Committee. From 1976 to 1982, he was the president of the Christian Democrats. In this role, he became a key leader against the military government of Augusto Pinochet.
During the Military Government
In 1973, Zaldívar was elected to the Senate of Chile, which is part of Chile's National Congress. However, after the military coup in 1973, the Congress was closed. Zaldívar and his family had to leave Chile and live in Spain for a short time.
He returned to Chile the next year and became the president of the Christian Democrat Party again, from 1975 to 1982. During this time, he also led the International Christian Democrats, a group of Christian political parties from around the world, from 1981 to 1986.
In 1988, Zaldívar was part of the important "No" campaign. This campaign worked to convince people to vote "No" in a national vote that decided if General Pinochet would stay in power. The "No" vote won, which helped bring democracy back to Chile. After this, Zaldívar became the president of his party for another two years.
Return to Democracy
When democracy returned to Chile, Zaldívar was elected Senator for West Santiago in 1989. This was a very close election. Even though another candidate, Ricardo Lagos, got slightly fewer votes, both Zaldívar and Lagos were elected because of Chile's special voting system.
As a Senator, Zaldívar worked on important committees, including the Public Works Committee and the Finance Committee. He was re-elected as Senator in 1997.
In March 1998, Andrés Zaldívar was chosen to be the President of the Senate. This is a very important job, like being the speaker of the Senate. He held this position until August 2004.
In 1999, Zaldívar wanted to become President of Chile. He ran in the primary election for his party, but he lost to Ricardo Lagos, who then became the presidential candidate for their group.
In 2005, Zaldívar ran for Senator again but did not win his seat this time. However, he soon became a key helper and planner for Michelle Bachelet's presidential campaign. After she won, President Bachelet appointed Zaldívar as her Minister of the Interior. This is a very senior role in the government.
On March 21, 2017, he again became the President of the Senate.
Fun Facts
- Andrés Zaldívar's nickname, "Chico" (meaning "Shorty"), comes from his height.
- He even had a small appearance as himself in a Chilean TV show called Hippie, which was set in the early 1970s.
Images for kids
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Andrés “El Chico” Zaldívar, a leader of the international Christian Democrat Movement, with the president of El Salvador, Jose Napoleon Duarte.
See also
In Spanish: Andrés Zaldívar para niños
