Hernán Cubillos
Hernán Cubillos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 14 April 1978 – 29 March 1980 | |
| President | Augusto Pinochet |
| Preceded by | Patricio Carvajal |
| Succeeded by | René Rojas Galdames |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 February 1936 |
| Died | 11 April 2001 (aged 65) |
| Spouse | Marcela Sigall |
| Children | Three (among them, Felipe and Marcela)[1] |
| Parent(s) | Hernán Cubillos Leiva María Graciela Sallato |
| Alma mater | Arturo Prat Naval Academy |
| Occupation | Politician |
Hernán Cubillos Sallato (25 February 1936 – 11 April 2001) was a Chilean officer, entrepreneur and politician who served as Foreign Affairs Minister under Augusto Pinochet regime.[2]
Cubillos was part of the so-called «soft» sector of civilian supporters of the regime, along with Edwards Eastman and Jaime Guzmán. He clashed with members of the «hardline» sector, led by Patria y Libertad chief Pablo Rodríguez Grez and Manuel Contreras, the first head of Pinochet's secret police, the DINA.
After graduating from the Captain Arturo Prat Naval Academy of the Chilean Navy and serving for several years as an officer, he left his naval career to dedicate himself to business. Retired from the Navy, Cubillos became Secretary General of Cemento Melón in 1962, in the Valparaíso Region, a company with majority British capital.
He later also served as executive advisor to the presidency of El Mercurio (1963–1970), of which he was a member of the board (1970–1973) and subsequently president (1973–1974). In 1974, he joined the board of the Inter American Press Association (1974–1976).
Cubillos was removed by Edwards in 1974 from his position as President of the board of El Mercurio. Afterwards, Cubillos participated in the weekly magazine Qué Pasa, linked to Opus Dei, as well as in Editorial Santillana del Pacífico and Editorial Portada. At the same time, he was involved in international business.
Biography
[edit]He was the son of Hernán Cubillos Leiva (former Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, from 1962 and 1964, and former ambassador to Brazil) and María Graciela Sallato. His grandfather was Rear Admiral Demetrio Cubillos, who was stationed in Great Britain overseeing the construction of ships for Chile in that country.
During his childhood, he studied at the Sacred Hearts schools in Viña del Mar and at the Oratory Preparatory School in Branksome Park, Bournemouth, in Great Britain. A childhood friend of Roberto Kelly, both would go on to pursue naval careers until their respective retirements.
Political career
[edit]He was one of the organizers of the 1973 military coup in Chile, taking part in the Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico Austral, which included José Toribio Merino, Patricio Carvajal, and Roberto Kelly—three prominent organizers of the coup—as well as Agustín Edwards Eastman, with whom he had been involved for at least six years prior.
He was appointed Foreign Minister in 1978, becoming the first civilian to hold that position during the military regime of General Augusto Pinochet. During his time at the ministry, the most critical phase of the Beagle conflict unfolded. Despite his short tenure in government, Cubillos was considered one of the most important civilian figures of the dictatorship.
Cubillos left the Foreign Ministry shortly afterward, following the highly publicized cancellation of Pinochet's trip to the Philippines, where he was to be received by Ferdinand Marcos. Mid-flight, the delegation was informed that Marcos would not receive them, with his government citing security reasons for withdrawing the invitation.
He was later proposed by Admiral José Toribio Merino as a civilian candidate for the 1988 plebiscite.
References
[edit]- ^ "Marcela Cubillos asegura que está "tremendamente orgullosa" de que su papá haya sido canciller en la Dictadura" (in Spanish). The Clinic. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Una historia marinera" (in Spanish). CNN Chile. Retrieved 4 September 2025.