Héctor Alejandro Correa Letelier

Héctor Alejandro Correa Letelier (12 July 1915 – 19 August 2004) was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat, professor, and conservative politician.

He served as Deputy of the Republic for the 25th Departmental Grouping (Ancud, Castro, Palena, and Quinchao) for five consecutive legislative periods between 1941 and 1961, and was President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile from 1957 to 1958.

Later, he was appointed Ambassador of Chile to Brazil (1965–1970) during the government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva.

Biography Correa was born in Santiago on 12 July 1915, the son of José Dionisio Correa Fuenzalida and Mercedes Letelier Pozo.

He studied at the Sagrados Corazones School in his hometown, and later attended the Law School of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he graduated as a lawyer in 1936 with a thesis titled La confesión en materia penal (“Confession in Criminal Matters”).

He married Luz Walker Concha in 1947, with whom he had eight children.

Professional career He practiced law independently and also served as attorney for the Popular Housing Fund (later CORVI). He was Director of Constructora Riviera and a contributing editor of El Diario Ilustrado. He maintained a law firm in partnership with Hermógenes Pérez de Arce Ibieta.

Academically, he taught private international law (1941–1947) and public international law (1947–1958) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Political and diplomatic career A lifelong conservative, Correa served as vice president of the Conservative Youth, party director, and member of its Executive Board.

He was first elected Deputy of the Republic in 1941 for the 25th Departmental Grouping (Ancud, Castro, Palena, and Quinchao) and re-elected successively in 1945, 1949, 1953, and 1957.

He participated in several Permanent Commissions, including those on Education, Constitution and Justice, and Interior Government. He served as Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies between 1953 and 1955, and as President between 22 May 1957 and 9 April 1958.

Correa successively joined the Traditionalist Conservative Party (1949), the United Conservative Party (1953), and later the National Party (1966). He also took part in the National Union Movement and finally in National Renewal, remaining active until his death.

In 1961 he was elected President of the Conservative Party, a position he held until his resignation at the end of that same year.

He subsequently worked as administrative director and later secretary-general of the Instituto de Educación Rural (1961–1973).

During the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva, he served as Chilean delegate to the Inter-American Assembly (1965) and later as Ambassador of Chile to Brazil (1965–1970). For his diplomatic service, he received the Grand Cross of the Cruzeiro do Sul and the Grand Cross of the Order of Rio Branco (Brazil), as well as the Grand Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Death He died in Santiago on 19 August 2004.