First Lady of Chile
First Lady of Chile (Spanish: Primera Dama de Chile) is the unofficial title for the wife of the president of Chile, who is traditionally responsible for directing and coordinating activities in the social field of the presidency and also accompany the president in ceremonies or official activities, for example, on state visit. In colonial times the wives of the royal governors were known as Presidentas, title that was in use during the second half of the 19th century, but was slowly superseded by the newer of First Lady. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president, there is no clarity for the case of the spouse of a female president, regarding to the work that traditionally are performed by the first lady. In these cases, the title First Gentleman (Primer Caballero; Primer Damo, colloquially) has been proposed. In March 2014, opposition newspaper La Segunda called Bachelet's son Sebastián Dávalos primer damo.[2]
| First Lady of Chile | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Residence | La Moneda Palace |
| Inaugural holder | María Mercedes Fontecilla Valdivieso |
| Formation | 1811 |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
The first ladies fulfill a protocol function as hostesses, and since 1925, they have had their own private office and staff, and preside over different charitable organizations, such as Ropero del Pueblo (1947–1958), CEMA Chile (1967–1990), Fundación Nacional de Jardines Infantiles, Fundación de la Familia, and others. While female president Michelle Bachelet worked, for that position was created an administrative position under her direct appointment, the Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency, which comprises management of non-profit foundations of the presidency (Red de Fundaciones de la Presidencia de la República): Integra; Promoción y Desarrollo de la Mujer, Prodemu (Women's promotion and development); Fundación de la Familia (Family foundation); Tiempos Nuevos (New times), MIM (Interactive museums); Matucana 100 (Theater promotion); Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Chile (Youth Orchestras); Artesanías de Chile (Arts and crafts) and Todo Chilenter.[3]
List of first ladies
| Dates | Name | President | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810–1811 | María Nicolasa Valdés y Carrera | Mateo de Toro y Zambrano y Ureta | Domingo Valdés y González-Soberal and Francisca de Borja de la Carrera y Ureta |
| 1811–1813 | María Mercedes Fontecilla Valdivieso | José Miguel Carrera Verdugo | Diego Antonio Fontecilla Palacios and Rosa Valdivieso Portusagasti |
| 1818–1823 | Isabel Riquelme y Meza (O'Higgins was single, assumed by his mother) | Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme | Simón Riquelme de la Barrera y Goycochea and María Mercedes de Meza y Ulloa |
| 1823–1826 | Manuela Caldera Mascayano | Ramón Freire Serrano | Francisco de Paula Caldera y Fontecilla-Palacios and Micaela Mascayano Larraín |
| 1826 | Carmen Gana López | Manuel Blanco Encalada | Agustín Gana Darrigrande and Dolores López Guerrero |
| 1826–1827 | María Teresa de Larraín y Guzmán | Agustín Manuel de Eyzaguirre y Arechavala | Agustín de Larraín y Lecaros and of Ana Josefa de Guzmán Peralta y Lecaros |
| 1827–1829 | Luisa Garmendia Aldurralde | Francisco Antonio Pinto Díaz | Ignacio Garmendia y Aguirre and María Elena de Aldurralde y Villagrán |
| 1829 | Mariana de Aguirre y Boza | Francisco Ramón Vicuña Larraín | José Santos de Aguirre y Díez de Aséndegui and Antonia de Boza de Lima y Andía-Irarrázaval |
| 1830–1831 | Rafaela Bezanilla Bezanilla | José Tomás Ovalle y Bezanilla | Francisco Bezanilla y De la Bárcena y Juana Bezanilla y Abós-Padilla |
| 1831 | María del Carmen Sotomayor Elzo | Fernando de Errázuriz y Martínez de Aldunate | Francisco Sotomayor Serrano and María de la Concepción de Elzo y Ureta |
| 1831–1841 | Manuela Warnes y García de Zúñiga | José Joaquín Prieto Vial | Manuel Antonio Warnes y Durango and Ana Jacoba García de Zúñiga y Lizola |
| 1841–1851 | Enriqueta Pinto Garmendia | Manuel Bulnes Prieto | Ex presidente Francisco Antonio Pinto and the ex-First Lady Luisa Garmendia Aldurralde |
| 1851–1861 | Rosario Montt Goyenechea | Manuel Montt Torres | Filiberto Montt y Prado and Luz Goyenechea Sierra. |
| 1861–1871 | Tránsito Flores de la Cavareda | José Joaquín Pérez Mascayano | Antonio Flores y Toro Zambrano and Micaela de la Cavareda y Trucíos |
| 1871–1876 | Eulogia Echaurren García-Huidrobro | Federico Errázuriz Zañartu | José Gregorio de Echaurren y Herrera and Juana García de Huidobro y Aldunate |
| 1876–1881 | Delfina de la Cruz Zañartu | Anibal Pinto Garmendia | José María de la Cruz Prieto and Josefa Zañartu Trujillo |
| 1881–1886 | Emilia Márquez de la Plata Guzmán | Domingo Santa María González | Fernando Márquez de la Plata y Calvo de Encalada and María del Carmen Guzmán y Fontecilla |
| 1886-1891 | Emilia de Toro Herrera | José Manuel Balmaceda Fernández | Domingo José Francisco Rafael de Toro y Valdés and María Mercedes Guzmán y Lecaros |
| 1891–1896 | Leonor Frederick Ledesma | Jorge Montt Álvarez | Jonathan Frederick Winthon and Nieves Ledesma Varas |
| 1896-1901 | Gertrudis Echenique Mujica | Federico Errázuriz Echaurren | Juan José Echenique Bascuñán and Jesús Mujica Echaurren |
| 1901–1906 | María Errázuriz Echaurren | Germán Riesco Errázuriz | Ex presidente Federico Errázuriz Zañartu and the ex-First Lady Eulogia Echaurren García-Huidrobro |
| 1906-1910 | Sara del Campo Yávar | Pedro Montt Montt | Evaristo del Campo Madariaga and Antonia Yávar Ruiz de Cabrera |
| 1910–1915 | Mercedes Valdés Cuevas | Ramón Barros Luco | Francisco de Borja Valdés Aldunate and Alejandra Cuevas Avaria |
| 1915–1920 | Ana Echazarreta Pérez-Cotapos | Juan Luis Sanfuentes Andonaegui | Juan Manuel Echazarreta Irigoyen and Mercedes Pérez-Cotapos Recabarren |
| 1920–1925 | Rosa Ester Rodríguez Velasco | Artuto Alessandri Palma | José Antonio Rodríguez Velasco and Antonia Velasco Pérez-Cotapos |
| 1925–1927 | Leonor Sánchez Vicuña | Emiliano Figueroa Larraín | Teodoro Sánchez Foulkner and Teresa Vicuña Vicuña |
| 1927–1931 | Graciela Letelier Velasco | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo | Ricardo Letelier Silva and Margarita Velasco Urzúa |
| 1931–1932 | Graciela Fehrman Martínez | Juan Esteban Montero Rodríguez | Eduardo Fehrman Zúñiga and Adelaida Martínez Prado |
| 1932 | Herminia Arrate | Carlos Dávila Espinoza | Miguel Arrate Larraín and Delia Ramírez Molina |
| 1932–1938 | Rosa Ester Rodríguez Velasco | Arturo Alessandri Palma | José Antonio Rodríguez Velasco and Antonia Velasco Pérez-Cotapos |
| 1938-1941 | Juana Rosa Aguirre Luco | Pedro Aguirre Cerda | José Joaquín Aguirre Campos and Mercedes Luco Gutiérrez |
| 1942-1946 | Marta Ide Pereira | Juan Antonio Ríos Morales | Carlos Jorge Ide Schulz and Juana Pereira Ahuer |
| 1946–1952 | Rosa Markmann Reijer | Gabriel González Videla | Ladislao Markmann Villagrán and Ana Reijer Silva |
| 1952–1958 | Graciela Letelier Velasco | Carlos Ibáñez del Campo | Ricardo Letelier Silva and Margarita Velasco Urzúa |
| 1958–1964 | None (Alessandri was single; role was assumed by Louise Schäffer). | Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez | |
| 1964–1970 | María Ruiz-Tagle Jiménez | Eduardo Frei Montalva | Alfredo Ruiz-Tagle Adriasola and Claudia Jiménez Pérez de Arce |
| 1970-1973 | Hortensia Bussi Soto | Salvador Allende Gossens | Ciro Bussi Aguilera and Mercedes Soto García |
| 1973–1990 | María Lucía Hiriart Rodríguez | Augusto Pinochet Ugarte | Osvaldo Hiriart Corvalán and Lucía Rodríguez Auda |
| 1990–1994 | Leonor Oyarzún Ivanovic | Patricio Aylwin Azócar | Manuel Oyarzún Lorca and Ana Ivanovic Roccatagliata |
| 1994–2000 | Marta Larraechea Bolívar | Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle | Vasco de Larraechea Herrera and Victoria Bolívar Le Fort |
| 2000–2006 | Luisa Durán de la Fuente | Ricardo Lagos Escobar | Hernán Durán Morales and Luisa de la Fuente Tavolara |
| 2006–2010 | None (Bachelet is single; main role was assumed by Adriana Delpiano and María Eugenia Hirmas, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency).[3][4] | Michelle Bachelet | |
| 2010–2014 | Cecilia Morel Montes | Sebastián Piñera Echenique | Eduardo Morel Chaigneau and Paulina Montes Brunet |
| 2014–2018 | None (Bachelet is single; main role was assumed by her son Sebastián Dávalos, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency.[5] | Michelle Bachelet | |
| 2018–present | Cecilia Morel Montes | Sebastián Piñera Echenique | |
Footnotes and references
- Since 2014, main role was assumed by the son of Michelle Bachelet, Sebastián Dávalos, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency.
- La Segunda, March 17, 2004, Sebastián Dávalos se instaló en La Moneda y comienza a ejercer rol de «primer damo» (Sebastián Dávalos is working at La Moneda and begins his job as "male first lady".)
- "Bachelet designa a esposa de Sergio Bitar en funciones de Primera Dama". El Mostrador. 2007-01-26. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
- Emol.com, Adriana Delpiano asumirá rol que ocupaba Luisa Durán, 16 March 2006.
- Chilevisión, Sebastián Dávalos Bachelet se hará cargo de siete fundaciones sin recibir sueldo, 17 March 2014.