Events

Sebastián Piñera

New leadership and opportunities after the crisis. An Ibero-American vision

On 7 July 2014, the Rafael del Pino Foundation organised a keynote speech by Sebastián Piñera, former President of the Republic of Chile.

Sebastián Piñera holds a degree in Business Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a PhD in Economics from Harvard University. Throughout his long professional career, to his dedications to the world of business and politics, he has always combined his intellectual restlessness and his teaching activity, which led him to teach at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Universidad de Chile, the Escuela de Negocios de Valparaíso and the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. He was also a consultant for the World Bank (1975-1978) and worked for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Inter-American Development Bank.

His activity as a businessman began in 1979 when he created the company Bancard S.A., which made it possible for the credit card system to start operating in Chile. He has been involved in the creation of a large number of companies such as Lan Chile, Chilevisión and Blanco y Negro or the real estate companies Inmobiliarias Las Américas and Aconcagua.

In the 1988 Plebiscite, he actively participated in the recovery of democracy in Chile by voting NO to the continuation of the military regime.

In 1989 he was an independent candidate for the Senate for the Democracy and Progress Pact, a position to which he was elected and which he held from 1990 to 1998. He was president of Renovación Nacional between 2001 and 2004 and in May 2005 he was proclaimed presidential candidate. Sebastián Piñera and Michelle Bachelet went to the second round, which was finally won by Bachelet, who won with 53.5% of the votes.

During the month of May 2009, the Coalition for Change was created and proclaimed Sebastián Piñera as its official candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Chile. In the presidential elections of December 2009, Sebastián Piñera obtained 44% of the votes, going on to the second round, which he won in 2010 and was sworn in as President of the Republic of Chile, a position he held until 11 March 2014.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for the comments, opinions or statements made by the people who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their sole responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference, written for the Rafael del Pino Foundation by Professor Emilio González, are the result of the debates held at the meeting held for this purpose at the Foundation and are the responsibility of the authors.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for any comments, opinions or statements made by third parties. In this respect, the FRP is not obliged to monitor the views expressed by such third parties who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their own responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference, written for the Rafael del Pino Foundation by Professor Emilio J. González, are the result of the discussions that took place during the conference organised for this purpose at the Foundation and are the sole responsibility of its authors.

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