Patricio Aylwin

Patricio Aylwin Azócar (Latin American Spanish pronunciation: [paˈtɾisjo ˈelwin aˈsokaɾ] ; 26 November 1918 – 19 April 2016) was a Chilean politician, lawyer, author, professor and former senator who was the 30th president of Chile from 1990 to 1994. He was the first president to be elected after the end of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship following the 1988 Chilean presidential referendum, marking the Chilean transition to democracy in 1990. He was from the Christian Democratic Party.

Born in Viña del Mar, to British descent on his father's side, Aylwin was an active politician since 1945. He was first elected Senator in 1965, and later became president of the Senate in 1971 under Salvador Allende's administration. After the 1973 coup, he led the Christian Democrat party on two separate occasions, and was elected president in 1989. His administration was defined by social and economic reforms, the latter of which led to a significant decrease in Chilean homeless population. Alywin was also a staunch supporter of the Chilean National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, which sought to prosecute those involved in human rights violations during the dictatorship.

Early life

Aylwin, the eldest of the five children of Miguel Aylwin and Laura Azócar, was born in Viña del Mar. An excellent student, he enrolled in the Law School of the University of Chile where he became a lawyer, with the highest distinction, in 1943. He served as professor of administrative law, first at the University of Chile (1946–1967) and also at the School of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (1952–1960). He was also professor of civic education and political economy at the National Institute (1946–1963). His brother, Andrés, was also a politician.