Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Chile)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile (Spanish: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) is the cabinet-level administrative office in charge of planning, directing, coordinating, executing, controlling and informing the foreign policy formulated by the President of Chile. It is located in the Edificio José Miguel Carrera at Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Square), in downtown Santiago.

Alberto van Klaveren, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs
Logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The present minister of foreign affairs (who is also known colloquially as Chancellor) is Alberto van Klaveren.

History edit

The office was first organized in 1812, during the War of Independence, under the name of Foreign Affairs Secretariat. It was abolished in 1814, after the Battle of Rancagua, when the Spanish government was re-established.

In 1818, after independence, the secretariat was re-established, but this time as a dependency of the Ministry of the Interior, which at that time was named "Ministry of Government and Foreign Affairs" (1818–1824) or "Ministry of the Interior and Foreign Affairs" (1824–1871). In 1871 is established as a separate government entity.

Since its current creation in 1871, it has undergone different reorganizations, reflected in its different names:

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Colonization 1871–1887
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship 1887–1896
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization 1896–1924
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1924–1929, and again since 1941
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Commerce 1930–1941

Titulars edit

Ministers of foreign affairs and colonization edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
  Adolfo Ibáñez Gutiérrez 1871 1875 Federico Errázuriz Zañartu
  Enrique Cood Ross 1875 1876
José Alfonso Cavada 1876 1878 Aníbal Pinto
Alejandro Fierro Pérez 1878 1879
  Domingo Santa María González 1879 1879
  Miguel Luis Amunátegui Aldunate 1879 1880
Melquiades Valderrama Sáenz de la Peña 1880 1881
  José Manuel Balmaceda Fernández 1881 1882 Domingo Santa María
Luis Aldunate Carrera 1882 1884
Aniceto Vergara Albano 1884 1885
  Aníbal Zañartu Zañartu 1885 1886
Joaquín Godoy Cruz 1886 1886 José Manuel Balmaceda
  Francisco Freire Caldera 1886 1887

Ministers of foreign affairs and worship edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
  Miguel Luis Amunátegui Aldunate 1887 1888 José Manuel Balmaceda
  Augusto Matte Pérez 1888 1888
Demetrio Lastarria Villareal 1888 1889
Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla 1889 1889
  Eduardo Matte Pérez 1889 1890
Juan Castellón Larenas 1890 1890
Juan Eduardo Mackenna Astorga 1890 1890
José Tocornal Jordán 1890 1891
Domingo Godoy Cruz 1891 1891
  Ricardo Cruzat Hurtado 1891 1891
Manuel María Aldunate Solar 1891 29 August 1891
  Manuel Antonio Matta Goyenechea 7 September 1891 26 December 1891 Revolutionary Junta of Iquique
Luis Pereira Cotapos 26 December 1891 1892 Jorge Montt
Juan Castellón Larenas 1892 1892
  Isidoro Errázuriz Errázuriz 1892 1893
  Ventura Blanco Viel 1893 1894
Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla 1894 1894
  Luis Barros Borgoño 1894 1895
  Claudio Matte Pérez 1895 1895
Adolfo Guerrero Vergara 1895 18 September 1896

Ministers of foreign affairs, worship and colonization edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Enrique de Putrón Cavareda 18 September 1896 1896 Federico Errázuriz Echaurren
Carlos Morla Vicuña 1896 1897
  Raimundo Silva Cruz 1897 1898
  Juan José Latorre Benavente 1898 1898
  Ventura Blanco Viel 1898 1899
  Federico Puga Borne 1899 1899
  Rafael Valentín Errázuriz Urmeneta 1899 1899
  Manuel Salinas González 1899 1900
  Emilio Bello Codecido 1900 1900
  Raimundo Silva Cruz 1900 1901
  Luis Martiniano Rodríguez Herrera 1901 18 September 1901 Appointed by
Reappointed by Aníbal Zañartu
  Eliodoro Yáñez Ponce de León 18 September 1901 1902 Germán Riesco
Horacio Pinto Agüero 1902 1902
José Francisco Vergara Donoso 5 May 1902 1903
Máximo Del Campo Yávar 1903 1903
  Agustín Edwards Mac Clure 1903 1903
  Rafael Sotomayor Gaete 1903 1904
  Emilio Bello Codecido 1904 1904
Adolfo Guerrero Vergara 1904 1904
  Raimundo Silva Cruz 1904 1904
Luis Antonio Vergara Ruíz 1904 1905
  Agustín Edwards Mac Clure 1905 1905
  Federico Puga Borne 1905 1906
Santiago Aldunate Bascuñán 1906 1906
  Antonio Huneeus Gana 1906 18 September 1906
Ricardo Salas Edwards 18 September 1906 1907 Pedro Montt
  Federico Puga Borne 1907 1908
  José Rafael Balmaceda Fernández 1908 1909
  Agustín Edwards Mac Clure 1909 1910
Luis Izquierdo Fredes 1910 23 December 1910
Rafael Orrego González 23 December 1910 1911 Ramón Barros Luco
Enrique Rodríguez Carmona 1911 1912
  Joaquín Figueroa Larraín 1912 1912
  Antonio Huneeus Gana 1912 1912
Renato Sánchez García de la Huerta 1912 1913
Enrique Villegas Echiburú 1913 1914
Alejandro Lira Lira 1914 1914
  Manuel Salinas González 1914 1915
Rafael Orrego Gónzalez 1915 23 December 1915
  Ramón Subercaseaux Vicuña 23 December 1915 27 April 1916 Juan Luis Sanfuentes
Silvestre Ochagavía Echaurren 27 April 1916 1 July 1916
Juan Enrique Tocornal Doursther 1 July 1916 20 November 1916
Alamiro Huidobro Valdés 20 November 1916 14 July 1917
  Arturo Besa Navarro 14 July 1917 13 October 1917
  Eduardo Suárez Mujica 13 October 1917 18 January 1918
Guillermo Pereira Iñiguez 18 January 1918 22 April 1918
Daniel Feliú Manterola 22 April 1918 6 September 1918
Ruperto Bahamonde Rivera 6 September 1918 28 November 1918
  Luis Barros Borgoño 28 November 1918 8 November 1919
Alamiro Huidobro Valdés 8 November 1919 29 March 1920
  Antonio Huneeus Gana 29 March 1920 1 July 1920
Luis Aldunate Echeverría 1 July 1920 23 December 1920
  Jorge Matte Gormaz 23 December 1920 1921 Arturo Alessandri
Ernesto Barros Jarpa 1921 1922
Samuel Claro Lastarria 1922 16 October 1922
  Carlos Aldunate Solar 16 October 1922 21 December 1922
Luis Izquierdo Fredes 21 December 1922 1923
Pedro Rivas Vicuña 1923 1923
  Emilio Bello Codecido 1923 1923
  Armando Jaramillo Valderrama 1923 1924
Roberto Sánchez García de la Huerta 1924 14 March 1924
  Galvarino Gallardo Nieto 14 March 1924 20 July 1924
Ramón Briones Luco 20 July 1924 1924
  Emilio Bello Codecido 1924 12 September 1924

Ministers of foreign affairs (first creation) edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
  Carlos Aldunate Solar 12 September 1924 23 January 1925 September Junta
  Jorge Matte Gormaz 29 January 1925 13 October 1925 January Junta
Ernesto Barros Jarpa 13 October 1925 23 December 1925 Luis Barros Borgoño
  Beltrán Mathieu Andrews 23 December 1925 2 August 1926 Emiliano Figueroa
  Antonio Huneeus Gana 2 August 1926 20 November 1926
  Jorge Matte Gormaz 20 November 1926 22 February 1927
Conrado Ríos Gallardo 22 February 1927 3 September 1929

Ministers of foreign affairs and commerce edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Manuel Barros Castañón 3 September 1929 27 April 1931 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Antonio Planet Cordero 27 April 1931 13 July 1931
  Carlos Aldunate Errázuriz 13 July 1931 22 July 1931
Guillermo Edwards Matte 22 July 1931 23 July 1931
  Alberto Edwards Vives 23 July 1931 26 July 1931
  Carlos Balmaceda Saavedra 26 July 1931 3 September 1931 Appointed by Pedro Opazo
Reappointed by Juan Esteban Montero
Reappointed by Manuel Trucco
Luis Izquierdo Fredes 3 September 1931 15 November 1931
  Carlos Balmaceda Saavedra 15 November 1931 5 June 1932 Juan Esteban Montero
Luis Barriga Errázuriz 5 June 1932 3 October 1932 Appointed by Socialist Junta
Reappointed by Carlos Dávila
Reappointed by Bartolomé Blanche
  Jorge Matte Gormaz 3 October 1932 24 December 1932 Abraham Oyanedel
Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal 24 December 1932 14 February 1937 Arturo Alessandri
  Gustavo Ross Santa María 14 February 1937 24 March 1937
José Ramón Gutiérrez Allende 24 March 1937 15 September 1938
Luis Arteaga García 15 September 1938 24 December 1938
Abraham Ortega Aguayo 24 December 1938 8 February 1940 Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Cristóbal Sáenz Cerda 8 February 1940 30 July 1940
  Marcial Mora Miranda 30 July 1940 7 November 1940
Manuel Bianchi Gundián 7 November 1940 26 March 1941
Luis Alamos Barros 26 March 1941 10 June 1941
Juan Bautista Rossetti Colombino 10 June 1941 2 April 1942

Ministers of foreign affairs (second creation) edit

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
  Ernesto Barros Jarpa 2 April 1942 21 October 1942 Juan Antonio Ríos
Joaquín Fernández y Fernández 21 October 1942 3 November 1946
Raúl Juliet Gomez 3 November 1946 2 August 1947 Gabriel González Videla
Germán Vergara Donoso 2 August 1947 6 July 1948
Germán Ignacio Riesco Errázuriz 7 July 1948 27 February 1950
  Horacio Walker Larraín 27 February 1950 19 June 1951
Eduardo Irarrázabal Concha 19 June 1951 29 July 1952
Fernando García Oldini 29 July 1952 3 November 1952
  Arturo Olavarría Bravo 3 November 1952 1952 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Oscar Fenner Marín 1953 1954
Roberto Aldunate León 1954 15 January 1954
Tobías Barros Ortiz 15 January 1954 6 January 1955
Osvaldo Koch Krefft 6 January 1955 30 May 1955
Kaare Olsen Nielsen 30 May 1955 2 January 1956
José Serrano Palma 2 January 1956 4 January 1956
Enrique Barbosa Baeza 4 January 1956 24 May 1956
Osvaldo Sainte Marie Sorucco 24 May 1956 28 October 1957
Alberto Sepúlveda Contreras 28 October 1957 3 November 1958
Germán Vergara Donoso 3 November 1958 26 August 1961 Jorge Alessandri
Carlos Martinez Sotomayor 26 August 1961 17 December 1963
Julio Philippi Izquierdo 17 December 1963 3 November 1964
  Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux 3 November 1964 3 November 1970 Eduardo Frei Montalva
  Clodomiro Almeyda Medina 3 November 1970 5 July 1973 Salvador Allende
  Orlando Letelier del Solar 5 July 1973 8 August 1973
  Clodomiro Almeyda Medina 8 August 1973 11 September 1973
Ismael Huerta Díaz 12 September 1973 3 July 1974 Augusto Pinochet
  Patricio Carvajal Prado 3 July 1974 20 April 1978
  Hernán Cubillos Sallato 20 April 1978 20 March 1980
  René Rojas Galdames 20 March 1980 14 February 1983
Miguel Schweitzer Walters 15 February 1983 19 December 1983
  Jaime Del Valle Alliende 19 December 1983 7 July 1987
Ricardo García Rodríguez 8 July 1987 21 October 1988
Hernán Felipe Errázuriz Correa 22 October 1988 11 March 1990
  Enrique Silva Cimma 11 March 1990 11 March 1994 Patricio Aylwin
Carlos Figueroa Serrano 11 March 1994 20 September 1994 Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
  José Miguel Insulza Salinas 20 September 1994 21 June 1999
  Juan Gabriel Valdés Soublette 22 June 1999 11 March 2000
  María Soledad Alvear Valenzuela 11 March 2000 1 October 2004 Ricardo Lagos
  Ignacio Walker Prieto 1 October 2004 11 March 2006
  Alejandro Foxley Rioseco 11 March 2006 12 March 2009 Michelle Bachelet
  Mariano Fernández Amunátegui 12 March 2009 11 March 2010
  Alfredo Moreno Charme 11 March 2010 11 March 2014 Sebastián Piñera
  Heraldo Muñoz 11 March 2014 11 March 2018 Michelle Bachelet
  Roberto Ampuero 11 March 2018 13 June 2019 Sebastián Piñera
  Teodoro Ribera 13 June 2019 28 July 2020
  Andrés Allamand 28 July 2020 6 February 2022
  Antonia Urrejola 11 March 2022 10 March 2023 Gabriel Boric
  Alberto van Klaveren 10 March 2023 Incumbent

Additional information edit

See also edit

Sources edit

  • República de Chile (1942). "VI. Poder Ejecutivo – Nómina de Gobernantes, Presidentes y Ministros desde la Independencia.". Manual del Senado. 1810–1942 (PDF) (in Spanish). Santiago de Chile: Imprenta Universitaria. (in Spanish)
  • Valencia Avaria, Luis (1986). Anales de la República: textos constitucionales de Chile y registro de los ciudadanos que han integrado los poderes ejecutivo y legislativo desde 1810 (in Spanish) (2ª edición ed.). Santiago de Chile: Editorial Andrés Bello. (in Spanish)
  • Official list of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Chile with appointment dates (in Spanish)

External links edit