Luis Danús Covián

Luis Francisco Danús Covián (1929 – 10 September 2013) was a Chilean public accountant, army officer and politician affiliated with the Independent Democratic Union (UDI). During the military government he served on the presidential advisory committee in the 1970s, and later held senior posts including Vice President-Executive of CORFO (1975–1979), Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs (1980–1981), Minister-Director of the National Planning Office (ODEPLAN) (1981–1982) and Minister of Economy.

In June 1983, as Minister of Economy, he appeared on national television to announce the end of the fixed exchange rate of 39 pesos per U.S. dollar, revalued to 46. He later served as Intendant of the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region from 18 December 1984 to 19 December 1986. He obtained 19,230 votes (24.4%) but was not elected.

Later, as a member of the Corporación 11 de Septiembre (an association of former officers), he criticized as “undue harassment” the human-rights cases brought against more than 240 servicemen, arguing that “terrorists have been granted pardons or commutations.”

He also chaired the National Association of Retired Armed Forces and Carabineros. In the 2009 Chilean presidential election he supported Sebastián Piñera. Danús died in Santiago on 10 September 2013 from cancer, aged 83; his funeral mass was held at the Military Cathedral of Chile.