Juan Atala González

Juan Elías Atala González (20 July 1911 – 3 December 1972) was a Chilean businessman and politician of Syrian descent, member of the Radical Party (PR).

He served as Minister of Labor during the administration of President Gabriel González Videla between July and November 1952. Later, he was elected as a Deputy of the Republic representing the 9th Departmental Grouping during the 1961–1965 legislative period.

Professional career He served as secretary-general of the Coordinated Health Services of O'Higgins Province between 1936 and 1938. Starting that year, he worked in cost accounting for the Braden Copper Company in Rancagua until 1946, when he joined Compañía de Industrias Chilenas (CIC). There he organized the Welfare Office and served as its head from its foundation; he was also a director of the company union.

He was president of the Rancagua Basketball Association; director of the Rancagua Football Association and the Instituto O'Higgins Sports Club; director and secretary of the Rotary Club (various terms); secretary of the Provincial Boy Scouts Association of O'Higgins; provincial president of the Confederation of Public Employees in O'Higgins; and member of the Mixed Salary Commission of Rancagua, representing employees.

In Santiago, he served as national secretary of the Confederation of Public Employees (Conep); councillor and vice president of the National Fund for Public Employees and Journalists; secretary of Relations and later president of the Confederation of Public Employees and Journalists (CEPCH); and member of the National Register of Traveling Salesmen.

Political career A member of the Radical Party (PR), he was appointed Minister of Labor on 29 July 1952, serving until 3 November of the same year.

In the 1961 parliamentary elections, he was elected Deputy for the 9th Departmental Grouping (Rancagua, Cachapoal, Caupolicán and San Vicente) for the 1961–1965 legislative period. During his tenure, he was part of the Permanent Commissions on Labor and Social Legislation, Mining and Industry, and Internal Police and Regulations, and sat on the Special Commissions on the Central Unitary Workers' Union (CUT, 1961), the Dollar (1962) and the Automotive Industry of Arica (1963–1964).

Among the motions he co-sponsored that became law was Law No. 15,223 of 13 August 1963, granting property tax exemption to the Municipality of Rengo for a building on the main square.

He died in Santiago on 3 December 1972 at the age of 61; his remains were taken to Rancagua.