Eugenio Ortega
Eugenio Ortega | |
|---|---|
| Ambassador of Chile at Canada | |
| In office 16 August 2006 – 11 March 2010 | |
| President | Michelle Bachelet |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Ibarra García |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 11 March 1994 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Homero Gutiérrez |
| Constituency | 37th District |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 June 1940 |
| Died | 27 September 2013 (aged 73) |
| Party | Christian Democratic Party (DC) |
| Spouse | Carmen Frei |
| Children | Three |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Sociologist |
Eugenio Ortega Riquelme (14 June 1940 – 27 September 2013) was a Chilean politician who served as a deputy.[1][2] He also was ambassador to Canada.[3]
Early life and family
Ortega was born on 14 June 1940 in Constitución. He was the son of Zoila Riquelme Mesa and Antonio Ortega Franco.[4] He was married to former senator Carmen Frei Ruiz-Tagle, with whom he had three children: María Paz, Francisca, and Eugenio.[4]
He completed his secondary education at the Hermanos de La Salle school in Talca.[4]
After finishing school, he enrolled at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to study Sociology, later completing his degree at the University of Münster (Germany) and the University of Leuven (Belgium).[4]
Political career
He began his political activities during his university years. During this period, he was a student leader and president of Acción Católica Universitaria. He represented the organization in Pax Romana, the International Catholic Students Movement, where he was elected a member of the World Executive Committee based in Fribourg, Switzerland.[4]
During the presidency of Eduardo Frei Montalva, he joined the government through the Technical Cooperation Service, where he became General Manager.[4]
In 1971, he joined CEPAL/ILPES as an expert in regional integration affairs. In 1975, he was hired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York, a position he held until 1978.[4]
In 1980, at the request of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party, he assumed responsibility for directing the Alternative Project. Four years later, he became director of the Fundación Eduardo Frei Montalva, which he had helped to create.[4]
In 1985, during Gabriel Valdés' presidency of the Christian Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary General of the party. In 1987, he was appointed National Councillor.[4]
In 1989, he ran for the Chamber of Deputies for District No. 37 (Talca), in the VII Region, representing the Christian Democratic Party for the 1990–1994 term. He was elected with the highest vote total, receiving 39,157 votes (44.66% of the validly cast ballots). In the 1993 elections, he ran for the Senate in the 10th Circumscription (Maule Norte) for the 1994–2002 term, but was not elected.[4]
On 20 May 1994, he was appointed by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle as a member of the National Council for the Overcoming of Poverty. On 20 January 1995, he was appointed to the Presidential Commission on Scientific Matters. He also served as the President’s representative on the Board of Directors of the University of Talca between 1994 and 2000.[4]
In 2006, during the administration of President Michelle Bachelet, he served as Chilean Ambassador to Canada.[4]
References
- ^ "A los 73 años falleció el ex diputado Eugenio Ortega". Emol. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "A los 73 años falleció el ex diputado y dirigente DC Eugenio Ortega". La Tercera. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ "Falleció Eugenio Ortega, ex diputado, embajador y marido de Carmen Frei, hermana del ex Presidente". Diario Chile. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Eugenio Ortega — BCN". Library of the National Congress of Chile. Retrieved 20 February 2026.