Fernando Freire
Fernando Freire García de la Huerta (21 January 1872 – 15 March 1953) was a Chilean politician who served as a parliamentary.
A member of the Liberal Party, he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile, and as Minister of Industry, Public Works and Railways under President Ramón Barros Luco. He later represented Chile diplomatically in Italy and France.
Early life
Freire was born in Santiago in January 1872, the son of Liborio Ramón Freire Caldera and Rosario García de la Huerta Pérez. He was a grandson of Ramón Freire, who served as Supreme Director and President of Chile, and a great-nephew of President José Joaquín Pérez.
He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones and the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile. He qualified as a lawyer on 13 January 1894. His thesis was titled Legislación de aguas ("Water Legislation").
Freire married María Walker Linares, with whom he had two daughters. In addition to his legal and political activities, he was involved in agriculture.
Political career
Freire was a member and councillor of the Liberal Party.
He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for San Felipe, Los Andes and Putaendo for the 1903–1906 legislative term, during which he served on the Permanent Committee of Elections. He was re-elected for the same constituency for the 1906–1909 term and served on the Permanent Committee of Foreign Affairs.
After an interval outside Congress, Freire was again elected deputy for San Felipe, Los Andes and Putaendo for the 1915–1918 term. During this period, he served as a substitute member of the Permanent Committee of Industry and Agriculture.
During the presidency of Ramón Barros Luco, Freire was appointed Minister of Industry, Public Works and Railways, serving from 7 June to 29 September 1915. He returned to the ministry on 15 October and remained in office until 15 December 1915.
In 1918, Freire was elected to the Senate for Bío Bío Province, serving until 1924. He was a member and president of the Permanent Committee of Agriculture, Industry and Railways and a member of the Permanent Committee of Budgets. He also served as a substitute member of the Permanent Committee of Public Works and Colonization.
In 1920, he served as a councillor of the State Railways.
Diplomatic career
Alongside his political career, Freire held several diplomatic appointments. In 1915, he served as an attaché to the Chilean legation in France. He was later appointed Chilean ambassador to Italy in 1933 and subsequently served as Chilean minister in France until 1936.
Freire was a member of the Comité France-Amérique and the Touring Club de France, as well as the Club de la Unión in Chile. He was awarded the Legion of Honour.
Freire died at his Hacienda Palomar estate in Panquehue on 15 March 1953.