Patricio Aylwin
Patricio Aylwin Azócar (* November 26, 1918 in Viña del Mar) is a Chilean politician. The Christian Democrat was from 1990 to 1994, the first democratically elected president of Chile after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
Life
Aylwin was born as the eldest of five children of Laura and Miguel Aylwin Azócar. In 1943 he completed his studies ( Law, Political and Social Sciences ) from the Universidad de Chile and worked subsequently as a professor of law and later he moved to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile ( also in Santiago, Chile ). He married Leonor Oyarzún Ivanovic, with whom he had five children.
He was involved early in the political moderate left-wing Christian Democrats, strongly influenced by the thought of Catholic social teaching. Between 1958 and 1989 he was several times chairman of the Christian Democratic Party of Chile. In 1965 he was elected as a Senator in Congress, which he chaired in 1971 and 1972, to the time when Salvador Allende was President of Chile. He led the parliamentary opposition to Allende, and initially he supported the coup Pinochet. He later revised his opinion.
After the coup of General Augusto Pinochet and the takeover by the military in September 1973 Patricio Aylwin remained until 1976 chairman of the Christian Democrats, which - like all other political parties in Chile - under the dictatorial rule of Pinochet any public activity was banned. 1980 Aylwin resigned as speaker of the opposition against the constitutional amendment, which the military wanted to legitimize their regime. The new, customized to the needs of Pinochet constitution was adopted, by a free choice, however, could not speak. Nevertheless, Aylwin advocated to accept the constitution situation as given and continue to seek even under the unfavorable health conditions the peaceful path to democracy.
After 1988, the opposition had won the popular vote on the design of the next presidential election, Aylwin became the candidate of the anti - Pinochet opposition - chosen - a broad center- left coalition under the leadership of Christian Democrats and Socialists. Aylwin joined the first free presidential election since 1971 and was elected on 14 December 1989 to the Chilean president. His term of office ( inauguration on 11 March 1990) was marked by great restraint and attempting Chile slow and cautious not to jeopardize way to a democratic state. After a term ( a Christian Democrat also ) was replaced in 1994 by Aylwin, Eduardo Frei. Patricio Aylwin involved has been operating internationally at the United Nations in the fight against poverty and for the enforcement of legal principles, including as Chairman of a nonprofit organization for democracy and justice.
Honors and Awards (selection)
- Many honorary doctorate
- 1993: Great Star of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- 1997: North - South Prize of the Council of Europe
- 1998: Fulbright Award