Guillermo Correa Fuenzalida

Guillermo Correa Fuenzalida (10 March 1900 – 14 March 1970) was a Chilean lawyer, academic and politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he served as a deputy representing the 11th Departmental Grouping during the 1933–1937 legislative period and held several ministerial posts during his public career.

Biography Correa Fuenzalida was born in Curicó to Rafael Correa Correa and Ignacia Fuenzalida O’Ryan. He married Luz María Ossa Undurraga, with whom he had six children.

He studied at the Liceo de Hombres de Curicó, the Instituto Nacional, and later pursued legal studies at the University of Chile. He qualified as a lawyer on 21 November 1921, with a thesis titled Pago por subrogación.

He combined teaching, professional and administrative activities. In 1922, he was appointed extraordinary professor of Civil Code, and in 1926 became a tenured professor at the Law School of the University of Chile. He served as director of the school between 1925 and 1927.

From 1922 onward, he worked as a lawyer for the Banco Hipotecario and the Sociedad de Turismo y Hoteles de Chile.

Political career Correa Fuenzalida was elected Deputy for the 11th Departmental Grouping (Curicó, Santa Cruz and Vichuquén) for the 1930–1934 term. During this period, he served as a replacement member of the Standing Committees on Public Education and on Constitutional Reform and Regulations, and as a member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare. The Congress was dissolved following the revolutionary movement of 4 June 1932.

He was re-elected for the reformed 11th Departmental Grouping (Curicó and Mataquito) for the 1933–1937 legislative period. During this term, he served as a replacement member of the Standing Committee on Constitution, Legislation and Justice and as a member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Legislation.

Within the executive branch, he served as Minister of Public Education from 29 March 1937 to 24 December 1938 during the administration of President Arturo Alessandri Palma. During his tenure, he promoted technical education in public high schools and created schools for artisans. He also served as acting Minister of Justice (1937–1938), acting Minister of Finance in 1937, and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commerce between May and September 1938.

Later, President Gabriel González Videla appointed him Minister of Justice, a post he held from 3 November 1946 to 16 April 1947.

He also held several senior positions in the public and private sectors, including director and later president of the Banco de Chile (1955–1970), director of CORFO, and director of major industrial and agricultural companies. As an agricultural entrepreneur, he operated the estate Las Juntas in San Vicente de Tagua Tagua.

Within party politics, he was a vice president of the Liberal Party. He received the Gormaz Prize and was a member of the Colegio de Abogados, the National Society of Agriculture, and the Institute of Private Law of France.