Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eduardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle
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Official portrait, 1994
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| 31st President of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 1994 – 11 March 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Patricio Aylwin |
| Succeeded by | Ricardo Lagos |
| Member of the Senate of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux |
| Succeeded by | Alfonso de Urresti |
| Constituency | North Los Lagos Region |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 11 March 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | María Elena Carrera |
| Constituency | East Santiago |
| President of the Senate of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Sergio Romero Pizarro |
| Succeeded by | Adolfo Zaldívar |
| Senator for life | |
| In office 11 March 2000 – 11 March 2006 |
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| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
24 June 1942 Santiago, Chile |
| Nationality | Chilean, Swiss |
| Political party | Christian Democratic |
| Spouse |
Marta Larraechea Bolívar
(m. 1967) |
| Children | Verónica Cecilia Magdalena Catalina |
| Relatives | Carmen Frei (Sister) |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Occupation | Civil engineer |
| Signature |  |
Eduardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineer. He was the president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He also served as a Senator and was the President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008.
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle tried to become president again in 2009, but he lost by a small number of votes. His father, Eduardo Frei Montalva, was also president of Chile from 1964 to 1970.
During his time as president, Chile continued its journey towards democracy. The country also saw a period of fast economic growth. This growth was only briefly slowed down by a financial crisis in Asia in 1997.
More recently, in the 2020s, he has taken political stances that are different from his original party. He has sided more with centrist and right-wing groups in recent votes about Chile's constitution.
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Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Early Life
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle was born in Santiago, Chile. His parents were Eduardo Frei Montalva and María Ruiz-Tagle Jiménez. He went to school at the Luis Campino Institute.
Later, he studied at the University of Chile. He became a civil engineer, focusing on how water moves (hydraulics). After finishing his studies, he took advanced courses in management in Italy.
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Political Journey
Frei started his political journey while he was still at university. He was a leader among the students. In 1958, he joined the Christian Democrat party.
In 1964, he actively helped his father's successful campaign to become president. From 1969 to 1988, he worked as an engineer. He was a partner at Sigdo Koppers S.A., which was Chile's biggest engineering company.
In 1988, Frei started a group called Comité Pro Elecciones Libres. This group worked to promote free elections. In 1989, he was elected as a Senator for Santiago. He received the most votes of anyone in the country. As a Senator, he led the Treasury and Budget Commission. He was also part of the Housing Commission.
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Presidency
In 1992, Frei ran in the election to choose his party's presidential candidate. He won against Ricardo Lagos. Then, in the presidential elections of 1993, he won the presidency with 58% of the votes.
He became president on March 11, 1994, and his term ended on March 11, 2000. Ricardo Lagos then became president. During Frei's time as president, there were improvements in health and education. He also helped reduce poverty in Chile.
President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle had very good relationships with the president of Argentina, Carlos Menem. During his presidency, a land dispute with Argentina called the Laguna del Desierto was resolved. The decision in this dispute favored Argentina.
After his presidency, Frei became a senator for life in Congress. This was a special position for former presidents.
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Return to Congress
In 2005, Chile changed its laws, and the position of senator-for-life was removed starting in 2006. So, Frei ran for an elected Senate seat in the December 2005 elections. He won a seat representing the areas of Valdivia Province and Osorno Province.
On March 11, 2006, Frei became the President of the Senate. This was a special moment because his father had also been President of the Senate after being President of the Republic.
Eduardo Frei's grandfather, Eduardo Frei Schlinz, had moved to Chile from Switzerland. In February 2009, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle also received Swiss citizenship.
In the 2009–2010 elections, Frei ran for president of Chile for a second time. He was the candidate for the center-left Concertación group. He promised to continue the popular policies of the outgoing President Michelle Bachelet. Some of his campaign posters even showed him with Bachelet.
In the first round of the elections on December 13, 2009, Frei received 29.60% of the votes. He came in second to Sebastián Piñera, who had 44.05%. Since no candidate won more than half the votes, a second election was held on January 17, 2010. The first results showed Piñera with 51.87% and Frei with 48.12%.
Frei accepted his defeat gracefully. He said, "The election is over and Chileans have shown civic maturity.... The results clearly show the solidity of our democracy. It has been clean and transparent in line with our tradition. I want to congratulate Piñera, to whom most Chileans have given their trust for the next four years."
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Honors
| Presidential styles of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle |
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| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Mr. President |
As President of Chile, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle received many honors, both from Chile and from other countries.
Honors from Chile
Grand Master (1994–2000) and Collar of the Order of Merit
Grand Master (1994–2000) and Collar of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins
Honors from Other Countries
Peru: 
Commander of the Order of the Sun (Peru)
Italy: 
Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (19 July 1995)
Croatia: 
Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav (8 November 1994)
Malaysia: 
Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (1995)
Poland: 
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Spain: 
Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, 3 March 1995
Uruguay: 
Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1996)
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Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle is also a member of the Club de Madrid. This is a group of over 100 former democratic leaders from around the world. They work to promote democracy and change in the international community.
Images for kids
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Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's Coat of Arms
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See also
In Spanish: Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle para niños
