Jorge Alessandri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jorge Alessandri
OMCh
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| 26th President of Chile | |
| In office 3 November 1958 – 3 November 1964 |
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| Preceded by | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Frei Montalva |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 2 August 1947 – 7 February 1950 |
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| President | Gabriel González Videla |
| Preceded by | Germán Picó Cañas |
| Succeeded by | Arturo Maschke |
| Senator of the Republic | |
| In office 15 May 1957 – 3 November 1958 |
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| Constituency | Santiago |
| Deputy of the Republic | |
| In office 15 May 1926 – 15 May 1930 |
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| Constituency | Santiago |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez
May 19, 1896 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | August 31, 1986 (aged 90) Santiago, Chile |
| Resting place | Cementerio General de Santiago Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | Independent |
| Parents | Arturo Alessandri and Rosa Rodríguez |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Profession | Civil engineer, entrepreneur, politician |
| Signature |  |
Jorge Eduardo Alessandri Rodríguez (born May 19, 1896 – died August 31, 1986) was a very important political figure in Chile. He served as the 26th President of Chile from 1958 to 1964. Later, he ran for president again in 1970 but lost to Salvador Allende. Jorge Alessandri was also the son of Arturo Alessandri, who was also a president of Chile.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Jorge Alessandri was born in Santiago. He went to a well-known public high school called Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera. After that, he studied at the University of Chile and became a civil engineer in 1919. He even taught there for a while.
When the government changed in 1924, he lived in Europe with his parents for a short time. He came back to Chile in 1925. In 1926, he was elected to the Chilean parliament as an independent representative for Santiago.
In 1932, he decided to leave politics for a bit. He focused on his business interests instead. He became the president of a mortgage bank and managed a paper and cardboard manufacturing company. From 1944 to 1947, he was the head of a group representing Chilean employers.
Return to Public Service
In 1947, Chile was facing some problems between different political groups. To help calm things down, President Gabriel González Videla asked Jorge Alessandri to become the Minister of Finance. Alessandri worked hard to improve the country's finances. He tried to control spending and keep prices stable.
By 1950, he had brought order back to the government's money and reduced inflation (when prices go up too fast). However, he also froze the pay for government workers. This led to many strikes and protests. Because of this, Alessandri and the rest of the cabinet resigned in February 1950. He then went back to leading the employers' group.
Becoming President of Chile
In 1956, the Liberal Party chose him to run for a seat in the Senate for Santiago. He won by a lot of votes in 1957. Even though he was seen as a bit conservative, the Conservative Party supported him as an independent candidate for president. His campaign focused on his strong knowledge of the economy.
In the March 1958 presidential election, Jorge Alessandri won with 32.2% of the votes. He was slightly ahead of Salvador Allende, who got 28.5%. Eduardo Frei Montalva received 20.5%. Since no candidate won more than half of the votes, the Congress had to choose the president. Congress picked Alessandri because he had support from a group of parties, including Conservatives, Liberals, and the Radical Party.
As president, Alessandri first focused on the economy. He worked to control inflation and balance the government's budget. He also made it easier for foreign goods to enter Chile by lowering import taxes. But again, he froze public sector pay, which caused more strikes.
In May 1960, a very strong earthquake hit Chile. It caused a lot of damage, costing over US$400 million. The country had to focus on rebuilding and helping those affected. This earthquake changed the government's plans and priorities.
In 1961, there were elections for Congress. The Conservative and Liberal parties lost many seats. Only the Radical Party did well. This meant Alessandri had to appoint more ministers from the Radical Party, which shifted his government's policies more to the left. This also fit with the new foreign policy of US President John F. Kennedy, called the Alliance for Progress, which aimed to help countries develop. These changes led to new tax laws and agricultural reforms. However, land ownership in Chile still remained very unequal.
Jorge Alessandri's term as president ended in 1964. He was replaced by Eduardo Frei Montalva, who had been his opponent in the 1958 election. Alessandri then went back to managing his paper factory.
Later Political Life
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After his presidency, people started asking Jorge Alessandri to consider running for president again. In 1965, a letter supported by 900 companies was published, asking him to think about the country's situation and his role. In 1968, a public statement was released, asking people to support his presidential campaign. Even though Alessandri mostly stayed out of the public eye after 1964, he never said he would not return to politics. He once said that he felt the growing unhappiness and worry of the Chilean people.
The 1970 Election and Beyond
In 1970, after Eduardo Frei's term ended, Jorge Alessandri decided to run for president again. His main opponent was Salvador Allende, just like in 1958. It was a very close election. Allende won with 37.3% of the votes, while Alessandri got 35.8%. Radomiro Tomić received 27.9%.
Since no one won more than half the votes, the election went to Congress on October 24. Congress chose Allende, even though they set some conditions for him, like signing a document promising to respect the Chilean Constitution. Alessandri lost the final vote in Congress by a large margin.
Some people believe that Alessandri's appearance on a TV show called Decisión 70 might have cost him the election. During the show, the camera showed his hands shaking when he said they would not. Also, he was seen warming his legs with a blanket even though it was spring. These moments made some people think he was too old to be president.
After the military took control of Chile in 1973 under General Augusto Pinochet, Alessandri was asked to join a new Council of State in 1976. This council advised the government on laws and helped write a new constitution. The council suggested some changes to the new constitution, but many of their important ideas were not accepted by the military government. Alessandri disagreed with some of the government's strict changes and resigned from the council. The new constitution was approved in 1980. Even with his disagreements, Alessandri publicly supported the constitution.
Final Years
After this, Jorge Alessandri retired from public life for good. He lived quietly in his apartment in Santiago. He continued to be the head of the board for a paper factory until he passed away in Santiago in 1986. He did not live to see Chile become a democracy again.
His death had an unexpected effect on a plan to attack Augusto Pinochet. Because Alessandri died, Pinochet had to travel back to Santiago earlier than planned, which changed the timing of the attack.
His nephew, Arturo Alessandri Besa, also ran for president in 1993 but lost the election.
See also
- Alessandri family
Images for kids
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Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez
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Jorge Alessandri's signature
