First Lady of Chile

First Lady of Chile

Flag of Chile
Incumbent
Vacant[1]
Residence La Moneda Palace
Inaugural holder María Mercedes Fontecilla Valdivieso
Formation 1811

First Lady of Chile (Spanish: Primera Dama de Chile) is the unofficial title for the wife of the President of Chile, who is traditionally responsible for directing and coordinating activities in the social field of the presidency and also accompany the president in ceremonies or official activities, for example, on state visit. In colonial times the wives of the Royal Governors were known as Presidentas, title that was in use during the second half of the 19th century, but was slowly superseded by the newer of First Lady. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President, there is no clarity for the case of the spouse of a female president, regarding to the work that traditionally are performed by the first lady. In these cases, the title First Gentleman (Primer Caballero; Primer Damo, colloquially) has been proposed. In March 2014, opposition newspaper La Segunda called Bachelet's son Sebastián Dávalos primer damo.[2]

The First Ladies fulfill a protocole function as hostesses, and since 1925, they have had their own private office and staff, and preside over different charitable organizations, such as Ropero del Pueblo (1947–1958), CEMA Chile (1967–1990), Fundación Nacional de Jardines Infantiles, Fundación de la Familia, and others. While female President Michelle Bachelet worked, for that position was created an administrative position under her direct appointment, the Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency, which comprises management of non-profit foundations of the presidency (Red de Fundaciones de la Presidencia de la República): Integra; Promoción y Desarrollo de la Mujer, Prodemu (Women's promotion and development); Fundación de la Familia (Family foundation); Tiempos Nuevos (New times), MIM (Interactive museums); Matucana 100 (Theater promotion); Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Chile (Youth Orchestras); Artesanías de Chile (Arts and crafts) and Todo Chilenter.[3]

List of First Ladies

DatesNamePresidentParents
1810–1811 María Nicolasa Valdés y Carrera Mateo de Toro y Zambrano y Ureta Domingo Valdés y González-Soberal and Francisca de Borja de la Carrera y Ureta
1811–1813 María Mercedes Fontecilla Valdivieso José Miguel Carrera Verdugo Diego Antonio Fontecilla Palacios and Rosa Valdivieso Portusagasti
1818–1823 Isabel Riquelme y Meza
(O'Higgins was single, assumed by his mother)
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme Simón Riquelme de la Barrera y Goycochea and María Mercedes de Meza y Ulloa
1823–1826 Manuela Caldera Mascayano Ramón Freire Serrano Francisco de Paula Caldera y Fontecilla-Palacios and Micaela Mascayano Larraín
1826 Carmen Gana López Manuel Blanco Encalada Agustín Gana Darrigrande and Dolores López Guerrero
1826–1827 María Teresa de Larraín y Guzmán Agustín Manuel de Eyzaguirre y Arechavala Agustín de Larraín y Lecaros and of Ana Josefa de Guzmán Peralta y Lecaros
1827–1829 Luisa Garmendia Aldurralde Francisco Antonio Pinto Díaz Ignacio Garmendia y Aguirre and María Elena de Aldurralde y Villagrán
1829 Mariana de Aguirre y Boza Francisco Ramón Vicuña Larraín José Santos de Aguirre y Díez de Aséndegui and Antonia de Boza de Lima y Andía-Irarrázaval
1830–1831 Rafaela Bezanilla Bezanilla José Tomás Ovalle y Bezanilla Francisco Bezanilla y De la Bárcena y Juana Bezanilla y Abós-Padilla
1831 María del Carmen Sotomayor Elzo Fernando de Errázuriz y Martínez de Aldunate Francisco Sotomayor Serrano and María de la Concepción de Elzo y Ureta
1831–1841 Manuela Warnes y García de Zúñiga José Joaquín Prieto Vial Manuel Antonio Warnes y Durango and Ana Jacoba García de Zúñiga y Lizola
1841–1851 Enriqueta Pinto Garmendia Manuel Bulnes Prieto Ex presidente Francisco Antonio Pinto and the ex-First Lady Luisa Garmendia Aldurralde
1851–1861 Rosario Montt Goyenechea Manuel Montt Torres Filiberto Montt y Prado and Luz Goyenechea Sierra.
1861–1871 Tránsito Flores de la Cavareda José Joaquín Pérez Mascayano Antonio Flores y Toro Zambrano and Micaela de la Cavareda y Trucíos
1871–1876Eulogia Echaurren García-Huidrobro Federico Errázuriz Zañartu José Gregorio de Echaurren y Herrera and Juana García de Huidobro y Aldunate
1876–1881 Delfina de la Cruz Zañartu Anibal Pinto Garmendia José María de la Cruz Prieto and Josefa Zañartu Trujillo
1881–1886Emilia Márquez de la Plata Guzmán Domingo Santa María González Fernando Márquez de la Plata y Calvo de Encalada and María del Carmen Guzmán y Fontecilla
1886-1891 Emilia de Toro Herrera José Manuel Balmaceda Fernández Domingo José Francisco Rafael de Toro y Valdés and María Mercedes Guzmán y Lecaros
1891–1896 Leonor Frederick Ledesma Jorge Montt Álvarez Jonathan Frederick Winthon and Nieves Ledesma Varas
1896-1901Gertrudis Echenique Mujica Federico Errázuriz Echaurren Juan José Echenique Bascuñán and Jesús Mujica Echaurren
1901–1906 María Errázuriz Echaurren Germán Riesco Errázuriz Ex presidente Federico Errázuriz Zañartu and the ex-First Lady Eulogia Echaurren García-Huidrobro
1906-1910 Sara del Campo Yávar Pedro Montt Montt Evaristo del Campo Madariaga and Antonia Yávar Ruiz de Cabrera
1910–1915 Mercedes Valdés Cuevas Ramón Barros Luco Francisco de Borja Valdés Aldunate and Alejandra Cuevas Avaria
1915–1920Ana Echazarreta Pérez-Cotapos Juan Luis Sanfuentes Andonaegui Juan Manuel Echazarreta Irigoyen and Mercedes Pérez-Cotapos Recabarren
1920–1925 Rosa Ester Rodríguez Velasco Artuto Alessandri Palma José Antonio Rodríguez Velasco and Antonia Velasco Pérez-Cotapos
1925–1927Leonor Sánchez Vicuña Emiliano Figueroa Larraín Teodoro Sánchez Foulkner and Teresa Vicuña Vicuña
1927–1931 Graciela Letelier Velasco Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Ricardo Letelier Silva and Margarita Velasco Urzúa
1931–1932 Graciela Fehrman Martínez Juan Esteban Montero Rodríguez Eduardo Fehrman Zúñiga and Adelaida Martínez Prado
1932 Herminia Arrate Carlos Dávila Espinoza Miguel Arrate Larraín and Delia Ramírez Molina
1932–1938Rosa Ester Rodríguez Velasco Arturo Alessandri Palma José Antonio Rodríguez Velasco and Antonia Velasco Pérez-Cotapos
1938-1941 Juana Rosa Aguirre Luco Pedro Aguirre Cerda José Joaquín Aguirre Campos and Mercedes Luco Gutiérrez
1942-1946 Marta Ide Pereira Juan Antonio Ríos Morales Carlos Jorge Ide Schulz and Juana Pereira Ahuer
1946–1952 Rosa Markmann Reijer Gabriel González Videla Ladislao Markmann Villagrán and Ana Reijer Silva
1952–1958 Graciela Letelier Velasco Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Ricardo Letelier Silva and Margarita Velasco Urzúa
1958–1964 None (Alessandri was single; rol was assumed by Louise Schäffer). Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez
1964–1970 María Ruiz-Tagle Jiménez Eduardo Frei Montalva Alfredo Ruiz-Tagle Adriasola and Claudia Jiménez Pérez de Arce
1970-1973 Hortensia Bussi Soto Salvador Allende Gossens Ciro Bussi Aguilera and Mercedes Soto García
1973–1990 María Lucía Hiriart Rodríguez Augusto Pinochet Ugarte Osvaldo Hiriart Corvalán and Lucía Rodríguez Auda
1990–1994 Leonor Oyarzún Ivanovic Patricio Aylwin Azócar Manuel Oyarzún Lorca and Ana Ivanovic Roccatagliata
1994–2000 Marta Larraechea Bolívar Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle Vasco de Larraechea Herrera and Victoria Bolívar Le Fort
2000–2006 Luisa Durán de la Fuente Ricardo Lagos Escobar Hernán Durán Morales and Luisa de la Fuente Tavolara
2006–2010 None (Bachelet is single; main role was assumed by Adriana Delpiano and María Eugenia Hirmas, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency).[4][3] Michelle Bachelet Jeria
2010–2014 Cecilia Morel Montes Sebastián Piñera Echenique Eduardo Morel Chaigneau and Paulina Montes Brunet
2014-present None (Bachelet is single; main role was assumed by her son Sebastián Dávalos, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency.[5] Michelle Bachelet

Footnotes and references

  1. Since 2014, main role was assumed by the son of Michelle Bachelet, Sebastián Dávalos, as Director of the social-cultural area of the Presidency.
  2. La Segunda, March 17 2004, Sebastián Dávalos se instaló en La Moneda y comienza a ejercer rol de «primer damo» (Sebastián Dávalos is working at La Moneda and begins his job as "male first lady".)
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Bachelet designa a esposa de Sergio Bitar en funciones de Primera Dama". El Mostrador. 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  4. Emol.com, Adriana Delpiano asumirá rol que ocupaba Luisa Durán, 16 March 2006.
  5. Chilevisión, Sebastián Dávalos Bachelet se hará cargo de siete fundaciones sin recibir sueldo, 17 March 2014.