10 Facts About Jorge Alessandri

Jorge Alessandri was the son of Arturo Alessandri, who was president from 1920 to 1925 and again from 1932 to 1938.

Jorge Alessandri studied at Instituto Nacional General Jose Miguel Carrera, prestigious public high school of Santiago, and University of Chile, and after graduating in 1919 worked there as a lecturer.

Jorge Alessandri withdrew from public life in 1932 to concentrate on business interests, becoming president of the mortgage bank, Caja de Credito Hipotecario until 1938 and running the Paper and Cardboard Manufacturing Company.

However, Jorge Alessandri was seen as rather conservative by the Liberal Party, and in the end it was the moderate wing of the Conservative Party which secured his position as an independent candidate for the Presidency, with his campaign majoring on his economic expertise.

Jorge Alessandri initially focused, unsurprisingly, on economic issues, particularly on controlling inflation and balancing the state budget, and he liberalised Chile's tariff regime.

On 3 November 1965, in the press published a letter, supported by 900 firms, where directed to Jorge Alessandri to analyze the general reality and highlight his public action, thus starting his second presidential candidacy.

In 1970, following the end of Frei's period in office, Jorge Alessandri sought election as President , with his main opponent Salvador Allende, just as in 1958.