Martín Zilic

Martín Nicolás Zilic Hrepic (born 22 April 1947) is a Chilean physician and former politician. While a student in the University of Concepción he participated in the November 18, 1971, meeting with Fidel Castro. During his time as Minister of Education he had to face the 2006 student protests in Chile.

Biography The son of Croatian immigrants, he completed his secondary education at San Luis School of Antofagasta. He later qualified as a physician and surgeon from the University of Concepción in January 1976. He obtained a Master of Science degree with a specialization in general surgery from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, and a second Master of Science degree, specializing in intensive care and resuscitation, from the same institution in 1983. He later served as Intendant of the Biobío Region during the administration of his close friend Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (1994–2000). he organized the First Global Biotechnology Forum, held in Concepción between 2 and 5 March 2004.

President Bachelet requested his resignation on 14 July 2006. He left office alongside Andrés Zaldívar (Interior) and Ingrid Antonijevic (Economy, Development and Reconstruction). Following his departure from government, he returned to the University of Concepción.

In 2011, he unsuccessfully sought his party's nomination for mayor of Concepción.

He is married in his second marriage to María Soledad Biel de la Maza.