Jaime Ravinet

Jaime Nicolás Ravinet de la Fuente (born 17 October 1946), is a Chilean politician, lawyer, academic and businessman. From 1990 to 2000 he was Mayor of Santiago, before becoming the Minister for Housing, Urban Planning and National Property in 2001, a position he held until 2004. He then became the Minister for Defence until 11 March 2006.

In February 2010 he was re-appointed as Minister of Defence by president-elect Sebastián Piñera but Ravinet resigned on 13 January 2011 after suggesting that the Chilean armed forces might be reluctant to help during humanitarian crises if that forced them to provide information about their expenses.

He was born into a middle-class family, the eldest son of engineer Alfredo Ravinet and Alicia de la Fuente Larenas, who was Ravinet's second wife. He was educated at Santiago College, San Ignacio College and finally the University of Chile, where he studied law. He married political scientist Ximena Lyon Parot in January 1974, and has three children.

Political career Early years At a young age, Ravinet became active as a student leader, particularly during his time at the Federation of Students of the University of Chile (FECh), which he presided over in 1968 and 1969, representing the Christian Democratic Youth. He had previously participated in the 1964 presidential campaign in which Eduardo Frei Montalva was elected President of Chile for the 1964–1970 term.

He later served as chief of staff to the Minister of Mining, Alejandro Hales, during the administration of Eduardo Frei Montalva. During the Popular Unity government (1970–1973), he was an opponent of President Salvador Allende.

He remained in office until 2004, when he was appointed Minister of National Defense, succeeding Michelle Bachelet, who was then launching her presidential candidacy.

During his tenure, the modernization of Chile’s military equipment continued, including the acquisition of two new Scorpène-class submarines built for the Chilean State. His period also coincided with renewed maritime boundary tensions with Peru.

2008 mayoral candidacy In 2008 he was the consensus candidate of the Concertación por la Democracia coalition to run again for mayor of Santiago.

He ran against Pablo Zalaquett (Independent Democratic Union), then mayor of La Florida, in the municipal elections of 26 October 2008, losing by more than ten percentage points.

Following the defeat, he resigned from his party’s National Council and suspended his political activity.

Minister under Piñera In February 2010, President-elect Sebastián Piñera announced his cabinet, naming Ravinet again as Minister of National Defense. The appointment generated controversy within the Concertación, as his party had warned that members who accepted positions in the incoming administration would be expelled. Ravinet resigned from the party shortly after his appointment.

He remained in office until January 2011, when he was dismissed by President Piñera amid a series of public controversies.

His dismissal represented the first cabinet change of Piñera’s administration.