Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Eduardo

Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Eduardo (1942-), President of Chile (1994- ). Born in Santiago, Frei was politically aware from an early age as his father, Eduardo Frei Montalva, was one of the most respected presidents in Chilean history (1964-1970). The younger Frei joined the Christian Democrat Party (CDP) at the age of 16, and served as a student leader at university, although he did not immediately go into politics. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Chile and studied management as a graduate student in Italy.

After graduating, he worked as a civil engineer and started his own construction company. Frei sold his business to seek a career in politics after his father's death in 1982, but it was almost ten years before Frei earned his first seat in the Senate. In 1991 he was elected President of the CDP, the largest faction in the ruling Coalition of Parties for Democracy. His election as President of Chile in 1993 (inaugurated 1994) marked the first turnover between elected presidents since 1970, and the first time a president succeeded another of the same party since 1946.

When Frei took office, he pledged to make constitutional reforms, to legalize divorce, and to raise the profile of women in public office. Frei immediately held true to his word on the latter and appointed three women to his presidential Cabinet. He has sought membership of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and vowed to work with Canada, Mexico, and the United States towards creating a free-trade zone by 2005. Frei clashed unsuccessfully with former dictator General Augusto Pinochet when the civilian government tried to imprison two former secret-police chiefs convicted of ordering the assassination of a Pinochet adversary.