Bernardo Larraín Vial

Bernardo Larraín Vial (27 August 1914 – 12 October 2009) was a Chilean lawyer and conservative politician. He served as a deputy between 1949 and 1957, and later as a senator representing Santiago from 1957 to 1965.

Family and studies Born in Santiago in 1914, he was the son of former deputy Bernardo Larraín Cotapos and Teresa Vial Sánchez. He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones in Santiago. He then attended the University of Chile and later the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he graduated as a lawyer in 1939 with the thesis La Lesión ("The Lesion").

He married Manuela Troncoso, with whom he had a daughter, María Soledad.

Professional career Larraín specialized in civil trials, partnering with lawyers Francisco Bulnes Sanfuentes and Jorge Castillo I. He also entered the construction business as general manager and partner of Gana y Larraín Ltda.

In 1943 he served as manager of the Sociedad Balneario de Los Romeros in Concón, and as director of the cooperative housing society El Hogar Propio. In 1947 he became president of the Compañía Textil Sudamericana. He also acted as director of Golf y Deportes Lomas de la Dehesa S.A.

Political career Larraín began his political career in the Traditionalist Conservative Party, where he was head of its youth movement.

In the 1949 Chilean parliamentary election, he was elected deputy for the 7th Departmental Group (Santiago) for the term 1949–1953. He served on the Permanent Commissions of Government, Foreign Affairs, Finance, National Defense, and Labor and Social Legislation, and was a member of the Conservative Parliamentary Committee.

He was re-elected in the 1953 Chilean parliamentary election, serving until 1957, where he sat on the Commissions of Foreign Affairs and Finance.

In 1957 he joined the United Conservative Party and was elected senator for Santiago (1957–1965). In the Senate he served on the Permanent Commissions of Government, Mining, Finance, Economy and Trade, and Internal Security. After his mandate he became the last president of his party (1965–1966), before its dissolution and the creation of the National Party.

He died in Santiago on 12 October 2009.