Manuel Bianchi Gundián
Manuel Bianchi | |
|---|---|
| Ambassador of Chile to the UK | |
| In office 1941–1953 | |
| President | Pedro Aguirre Cerda (1941) Juan Antonio Ríos (1942–1946) Gabriel González Videla (1946–1952) Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (1952–1953) |
| Preceded by | Octavio Señoret Silva |
| Succeeded by | Enrique Balmaceda Toro |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 7 November 1940 – 26 March 1941 | |
| President | Pedro Aguirre Cerda |
| Preceded by | Marcial Mora |
| Succeeded by | Luis Álamos Barros |
| Ambassador of Chile to Mexico | |
| In office 1933–1939 | |
| President | Arturo Alessandri (1933–1938) Pedro Aguirre Cerda (1938–1939) |
| Preceded by | Pedro Letelier Elgart |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Hidalgo Plaza |
| Ambassador of Chile to Bolivia | |
| In office 1928–1933 | |
| President | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (1928–1931) Arturo Alessandri (1932–1933) |
| Preceded by | Miguel Luis Rocuant |
| Succeeded by | Alberto Sepúlveda Contreras |
| Minister Plenipotentiary of Chile to Cuba | |
| In office 1927–1928 | |
| President | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo |
| Preceded by | Diego Dublé Urrutia |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Luis Rocuant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 14, 1894 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | December 16, 1982 (aged 88) Santiago, Chile |
| Spouse(s) | Luz Pérez de Castro (m. ?–?) Margery Lucile van Claveren (m. ?–?) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Arturo Bianchi Gundían (brother) |
Juan Manuel Bianchi Gundián (14 January 1894 – 16 December 1982) was a Chilean diplomat and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commerce during the presidency of Pedro Aguirre Cerda from November 1940 to March 1941.[1]
Early life and family
Bianchi was born in Santiago, Chile, on 14 January 1894, into a family of journalists and diplomats of Italian origin established in Chile since 1848. He was the son of Ernesto Bianchi Tupper and Laura Gundián Sierralta.[2] His brother, Arturo Bianchi Gundián, served as the first vice president of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile in 1942.[3]
He married twice: first to Luz Pérez de Castro Gutiérrez, with whom he had two children; and later to Margery Lucile van Claveren, with whom he also had two children.[1]
Diplomatic and public career
Bianchi held several diplomatic posts, including Ambassador of Chile to Panama, Cuba, Bolivia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commerce under President Pedro Aguirre Cerda between November 1940 and March 1941.[4]
He later became president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. In that capacity, he contributed to efforts aimed at restoring constitutional order in the Dominican Republic following the coups d'état that occurred after the overthrow of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo.[5]
In 1968, he received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, awarded by the United Nations to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.[6] He was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.[7]
Bianchi died in Santiago on 16 December 1982. He was the last surviving member of President Pedro Aguirre Cerda's ministerial cabinet.
References
- ^ a b "Manuel Bianchi Gundián". Anales de la República. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Genealogía Chilena en Red; Manuel Bianchi Gundián". Genealogía Chilena en Red. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Colegio de Arquitectos: Historia". Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ David Schidlowsky, Neruda y su tiempo: Las furias y las penas, Vol. 1 (RIL Editores, 2008), pp. 120–121.
- ^ Guillermo Cabrera Leiva (7 March 2010). "Manuel Bianchi Gundián y su labor en República Dominicana". Diario Las Américas. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014.
- ^ "United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights". United Nations. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
- ^ "Nomination Archive: Manuel Bianchi". The Nobel Prize. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
Bibliography
- Schidlowsky, David. Neruda y su tiempo: Las furias y las penas, Vol. 1. Santiago: RIL Editores, 2008. ISBN 9562846296.