Paulino Varas

Paulino Varas Alfonso (born 19 May 1930) is a Chilean lawyer, academic, and politician. He served as Minister of Lands and Colonization during the administration of President Jorge Alessandri, between May and November 1964; and later served as President of the Council of State Defense of Chile (CDE) during the administration of President Eduardo Frei Montalva. He is the only surviving member of Alessandri's ministerial cabinet.

Family and education Varas was born in Santiago, Chile on 19 May 1930, the son of lawyer and conservative parliamentarian Fernando Varas Contreras and Cecilia Alfonso Schleyer. He completed his primary and secondary education at the German Lyceum of Santiago, graduating in 1947. After studying medicine for one year, he enrolled in the study of law at the University of Chile, qualifying as a lawyer on 6 May 1955. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Biology and in Arts.

He married Cecilia Lira Lagarrigue on 7 December 1960, with whom he had four children: Paulino, Felipe, Gregorio, and Alejandra.

Public offices On 3 November 1958, following the inauguration of independent President Jorge Alessandri, Varas was appointed Undersecretary of Lands and Colonization. He served in an acting capacity as Minister of that department between 20 May and 10 July 1963. Subsequently, on 6 May 1964, he was appointed Minister of Lands and Colonization, a position he held until the end of the administration on 3 November of that year.

He later served as legal adviser to the Council of State Defense of Chile (CDE), eventually becoming President of the institution during the administration of Christian Democratic President Eduardo Frei Montalva (1964–1970).

Academic and judicial career Varas served as a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile from 1 May 1955 until 3 March 2021, teaching constitutional law. At that faculty he also served as Director of the Law School, Academic and Student Affairs Director, Acting Vice-Dean, President of the Evaluation Committee, and Faculty Councillor. He has also taught administrative law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, constitutional law at Diego Portales University, political economy at the Instituto Superior de Comercio Nº 1, and social sciences at the Verbo Divino School.

He served as President of the Trademarks Arbitration Court and of the Appeals Tribunal on Export Quotas. He also served as a judge of the Appellate Tribunal in commercial cases and of the Appeals Tribunal on Fuels, and as an associate justice of the Constitutional Court of Chile.