Fernando Léniz

Fernando Léniz Cerda (30 July 1927 – 25 September 2013) was a Chilean civil engineer, academic, businessman and guild leader. A close collaborator of General Augusto Pinochet, he served as Minister of Economy, Development and Reconstruction during the military government.^[1] He was a senior executive of El Mercurio and three-time president of the Chilean forestry industry association (CORMA).^[1]

He attended the German School of Valdivia until 1937, then continued at the German School of Santiago and later at the Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera, graduating at age fifteen.^[2][3][4] He studied civil engineering at the Mathematics Faculty of the University of Chile, receiving the Roberto Ovalle Aguirre Prize as the best student of his graduating class in 1949.^[2][3][4]

He married Raquel Mezzano Bennett —daughter of Army Commander-in-Chief (1953–1954) Carlos Mezzano Camino— and had nine children.^[2][3]

He began his professional work at a construction and project office, then joined the state-owned ENDESA in 1950.^[2][3] He later moved to the CMPC group, becoming production manager in 1965.

He served three terms as president of the Chilean Wood Corporation (CORMA): 1963–1966, 1996–1998 and 2006–2008.^[2][3][4]

In 1966, at the invitation of businessman Agustín Edwards Eastman, he became general manager of El Mercurio, later rising to the presidency of Empresas El Mercurio.^[3][4] Under his leadership, the newspaper became one of the strongest critics of President Salvador Allende prior to the 1973 coup.

He also served as director or president of several companies, including Indus, Fondo Mutuo Crecinco, Compañía Chilena de Fósforos, La Philadelphia Insurance, Banco Morgan Finansa, and the Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores.^[3]

In academia, he helped found Universidad Finis Terrae, chaired the first board of INACAP, and taught at the University of Chile.^[3][4]

He was appointed Minister of Economy in October 1973, becoming one of the first civilian members of the military administration.^[3][4] He left the cabinet after the 1975 economic crisis and was succeeded by economist Sergio de Castro.^[3]

Later he distanced himself from the military regime. Along with Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno and political leaders Sergio Molina and José Zabala, he co-promoted the National Agreement, an initiative aimed at restoring institutional democracy.^[3]

In 1992 he joined the programmatic team of presidential pre-candidate Sebastián Piñera.^[3] He supported the 1993 presidential candidacy of Arturo Alessandri Besa.^[3][2]

During the presidency of Patricio Aylwin, he was General Commissioner of Chile's pavilion at the Seville Expo '92.^[3][4]

In 2006 he received the National Prize of the Colegio de Ingenieros de Chile.^[4]

He died in Santiago on 25 September 2013.^[1] His funeral was held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Vitacura.^[1]