Hernán Larraín Fernández (born September 21, 1947) is a conservative
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an lawyer, university lecturer, and politician; he served as the Chilean Minister of Justice and Human rights, appointed by president
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique (; 1 December 1949 – 6 February 2024) was a Chilean businessman and politician who served as President of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. The son of a Christian Democratic Party (C ...
, between 2018 and 2022. Larraín's former public service positions include a Senate seat representing the 11th district, the
Maule Region
The Maule Region (, ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region derives its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,6 ...
(1994–2010), the Presidency of the Senate (2004–2005) and the presidency of the
Independent Democratic Union
The Independent Democratic Union (''Unión Demócrata Independiente'', UDI) is a conservative and right-wing political party in Chile, founded in 1983. Its founder was the lawyer, politician, law professor and senator Jaime Guzmán, a civilian a ...
(''Unión Demócrata Independiente, UDI'') from 2006 to 2008 and 2015 to 2017.
Larraín is married to
Magdalena Matte, a Chilean
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
,
businesswoman
A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...
and
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
. They have six children, among them is
Pablo Larraín
Pablo Larraín Matte (; born 19 August 1976) is a Chilean filmmaker. He is known for directing films such as ''Neruda (film), Neruda'' (2016), ''Jackie (2016 film), Jackie'' (2016), ''Spencer (film), Spencer'' (2021), ''El Conde (film), El Cond ...
, a well known filmmaker. Hernán Larraín is of
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
descent. He is also a member of Washington D.C.–based think tank the
Inter-American Dialogue
The Inter-American Dialogue (Spanish and Portuguese: ''Diálogo Interamericano''), also known as the Dialogue or IAD, is a U.S.-based think tank in the field of international affairs primarily related to the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in ...
.
Early years
Hernán Larraín was born in
Santiago de Chile
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital city, capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's Chilean Central Valley, central valley and is the center ...
. He studied at the
Saint George's College. He entered the School of Law at the
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC Chile; ) is a traditional private university based in Santiago, Chile. It is one of the thirteen Catholic universities existing in Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical univ ...
and received a law degree in 1971. At the university, Larraín obtained the "J.Tocornal" and "P.Montenegro" awards, given to the best student of the class. Larraín received a scholarship from the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
to pursue his
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject.
In many jurisdi ...
(LL.M.) degree at the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
.
Larraín has been professor of the School of Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he served as secretary-general. Despite having belonged to the ''Gremialista'' movement, he did not join the Independent Democratic Union until after the assassination of its founder
Jaime Guzmán
Jaime Jorge Guzmán Errázuriz (June 28, 1946 – April 1, 1991) was a Chilean constitutional law professor, politician, and founding member of the conservative Independent Democratic Union party. In the 1960s, he strongly opposed the Universit ...
in 1991.
References
External links
Official site of Hernán LarraínBiography on BCN.cl, National Congressional Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larrain, Hernan
1947 births
Living people
20th-century Chilean lawyers
21st-century Chilean lawyers
Candidates for President of Chile
Academic staff of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Ministers of justice of Chile
Chilean people of Basque descent
Independent Democratic Union politicians
Hernan
Members of the Inter-American Dialogue
Politicians from Santiago, Chile
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile alumni
Presidents of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Student Federation
Presidents of the Senate of Chile
Senators of the XLIX Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the L Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the LI Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the LII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the LIII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the LIV Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Expert Commissioners of the 2023 Chilean Constitutional Council