Francisco Lira Merino

Francisco Lira Merino
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
15 May 1949 – 15 May 1957
Constituency7th Departamental Group (Santiago, 1st District)
Ambassador of Chile to Italy
In office
1956–1959
Ambassador of Chile to Colombia
In office
1965–1970
Personal details
Born(1918-08-11)11 August 1918
Died15 November 1987(1987-11-15) (aged 69)
Chile
Party
OccupationDentist, diplomat and politician
CommitteesForeign Relations Committee

Francisco Javier Lira Merino (11 August 1918 – 15 November 1987) was a Chilean dentist, diplomat and politician affiliated first with the Agrario Laborista Party and later with the National Popular Party.

Early life

He was born in Santiago de Chile to Francisco Javier Lira Montesinos and Celia Merino Maturana. He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones de Santiago and later entered the Faculty of Dentistry at the Universidad de Chile, obtaining his degree as dentist in 1941.[1]

He married Inés Bianchi Barros on 14 May 1943; the couple had nine children. He joined the Agrario Laborista Party in 1949, later entering the National Popular Party in 1958, becoming its president in 1960.[1]

Parliamentary career

Lira Merino was elected Deputy for the 7th Departamental Group of Santiago (1st District) in the 1953 parliamentary election, representing the Agrario Laborista Party. During his term (1953–1957) he served on the Foreign Relations Committee.[1]

Diplomatic career

He was appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Chile to Italy from 1956 to 1959. Later, under subsequent administrations, he served as Ambassador of Chile to Colombia between 1965 and 1970.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Francisco Javier Lira Merino". Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. Retrieved 2021-10-30.