Clodomiro Almeyda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clodomiro Almeyda Medina
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Clodomiro Almeyda
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| Born | 11 February 1923 |
| Died | 25 August 1997 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Chile |
| Organization | Socialist Party of Chile |
Clodomiro Almeyda Medina (born February 11, 1923 – died August 25, 1997) was an important Chilean politician. He was a main member of the Socialist Party. He worked as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Chile. This was from 1970 to 1973. He served during the time Salvador Allende was president.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Clodomiro Almeyda went to high school in Santiago. He studied at the German and Application High Schools. Later, he went to the University of Chile. He studied Law there. In 1948, he finished his studies. His final paper was about how governments work. He then became a professor. He taught political science and sociology at the university.
Starting in Politics
Almeyda joined the Socialist Party of Chile in 1941. In the 1950s, he was part of the Popular Socialist Party. This was when the main Socialist Party had some disagreements.
He served in the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. He was the Minister of Labor and Minister of Mining. As Minister of Labor, he helped create the Single Central of Workers (CUT). This was a big workers' union.
In 1957, the Socialist Party reunited. Almeyda rejoined the party. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He served there from 1961 to 1965.
Working with President Allende
When Salvador Allende won the 1970 Chilean presidential election, Almeyda got a new job. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He stayed in this role for most of Allende's government. This government was called Popular Unity.
For a short time, he was also the Minister of National Defense. This was a clever move. It helped him avoid being removed from his job by the National Congress.
After the Coup
On September 11, 1973, the government was overthrown. This was a coup d'état. Almeyda was arrested. He was sent to a prison camp on Dawson Island. Many other leaders were also held there. He was held for a long time.
Later, he was forced to leave Chile. This is called being in exile. He lived in East Germany and Mexico. In these countries, he taught at universities. He also worked to oppose the new government in Chile.
Return to Chile
In 1987, Almeyda secretly returned to Chile. He crossed the Andes mountains on a mule. He then showed himself publicly. This surprised the government of Augusto Pinochet.
Because of this, he was put in prison. He was the only person declared "unconstitutional" by the Constitutional Court of Chile. This was under a special article in the Constitution of Chile. This article said that political parties and people who supported certain left-wing ideas were illegal. This meant he lost his rights as a citizen. He could only get them back when Chile became a democracy again.
Later Political Life
After Pinochet's rule ended, Almeyda led a part of the Chilean Socialist Party. He tried to work with other left-wing groups. He was known as "Don Cloro."
During the government of Patricio Aylwin, Almeyda reopened the Chilean embassy in the Soviet Union. This was in the last months of the Soviet Union's existence. In 1991, he allowed Erich Honecker to stay there. Honecker was the former leader of East Germany. This caused a diplomatic problem. Russia's president, Boris Yeltsin, sent Honecker back to Germany.
After this, Almeyda returned to Chile. He wrote his memories. He also worked as a professor at the University of Chile. He continued teaching until he passed away on August 25, 1997.
Tributes
After Almeyda's death, the Socialist Party of Chile honored him. In May 1998, their "Extraordinary Congress" was named after him. The party's library was also named in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Clodomiro Almeyda para niños
