Francisco Vial Freire

Francisco Vial Freire (7 February 1899 – 21 April 1982) was a Chilean agriculturalist and conservative politician. He served as a deputy of the Republic of Chile between 1953 and 1957.

Early life He was the son of former deputy Daniel Vial Carvallo and Carolina Freire Valdés. Through his mother, he was a great-grandson of Chilean independence leader and former president Ramón Freire. He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones de Santiago and later entered the Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins Military Academy, leaving the Army with the rank of First Lieutenant on 2 May 1922.

He married Mary Bunster Gómez in Los Ángeles on 27 December 1924, with whom he had two children.

Public life Vial Freire devoted himself to agriculture, administering the estate "La Perla" in Los Ángeles—property of the Bunster family—and later "El Huertón," where he was primarily engaged in apple production.

A member of the Conservative Party, he served as its secretary in Los Ángeles and later joined the Traditionalist Conservative faction.

He served as regidor (councilman) of the Municipality of Los Ángeles in the periods 1944–1947 and 1950–1953, and as mayor between 1944 and 1945.

In 1953 he was elected Deputy for the 19th Departamental Group (Laja, Nacimiento and Mulchén), serving until 1957. During his legislative tenure, he sat on the Permanent Committee on Medical-Social Assistance and Hygiene.

Vial also served as president of the Agricultural Society of Bío-Bío and the Los Ángeles Dairy Cooperative. He was a member of the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura, and belonged to the Club de la Unión, the Club Hípico de Santiago, and the Santiago Polo Club.