Eduardo Frei Montalva (1911 – 1982) was the president of Chile from 1964 to 1970.

Eduardo Frei was born in Santiago on January 11, 1911, the son of Eduardo Frei and Victoria Montalva Martínez. He studied his high school at the Instituto de Humanidades Luis Campino and attended law school at the Universidad Católica de Chile, graduating as a lawyer in 1933. He married María Ruiz-Tagle , and had 5 children.

He began his political career on the Conservative Party, but along with a group of young men, escinded themselves and founded their own party in 1939: the Falange Nacional. In 1957, the Falange became the Christian Democratic Party of Chile, and he became the undisputed leader.

He was minister of Public Works in 1945, and senator in 1949. He ran for president in 1957 before being elected in 1964. That year he was elected with his “Revolución en Libertad” ("Revolution with Freedom") slogan by a large margin (56%), defeating Socialist candidate Salvador Allende who only obtained a 39%, and later became president in 1970.

During the 1964 election, the CIA, fearing an Allende victory, approved US$3 million to be used in support of Frei's candidacy, mostly through means of anti-leftist political propaganda in the Chilean media. [1] http://www.odci.gov/cia/reports/chile/index.html#14

During Frei's administration many reforms were made in Chilean society. "Promoción Popular," "Reforma Agraria," "Reforma Educacional," and "Juntas de Vecinos" were some of his main projects.

After Allende's 1970 victory, Frei feared what he called a "totalitarian project" and became the leader of the democratic opposition. His Christian Democratic Party initially supported the military coup against Allende in 1973 due to the economic collapse and bitterly divided political climate in Chile at the time. He went as far as endorsing an international campaign of support to the junta.

However after Augusto Pinochet consolidated his power, refused to call new elections, and implemented several authoritarian and repressive policies, Frei took up an active opposition role.

He died in Santiago, on January 22, 1982, from complications steming from a simple surgery. His death is being investigated today, because of suspicions that he may have been murdered by Pinochet's agents through the use of infectious agents.

Frei's eldest son, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, was also president of Chile from 1994 to 2000.

External links

• Chile 1964: CIA covert support in FREI election http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20040925/index.htm