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John Henry Biehl del Río (/ˈbiːl/; 26 August 1939 – 17 December 2023) was a Chilean lawyer, political scientist, and diplomat who served as the cabinet-level Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency for Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's administration.

Early life

Biehl was of Danish ancestry. He studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso in his home city, and later national development in the Netherlands, and finally political science at the University of Essex, where he received his Master's degree.

Biehl was the founder and director of the Institute of Political Science at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Diplomatic and political career

Although Biehl had never registered for any political party, he was considered more of a Christian Democrat due to his exile after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and Pinochet's rise to power. He gained diplomatic experience acting as an advisor to various governments. These included that of Óscar Arias in Costa Rica, where he worked as a policymaker and speechwriter; The New York Times referred to him as Arias' "closest confidant" and "alter ego". Biehl also led the successful campaign for Arias' 1987 Nobel Peace Prize. As a United Nations official working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Biehl also lived in Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. However, Biehl was forced out of the UN in 1987 after demands by the United States government, due to unhappiness in the Reagan administration over his part in Arias' opposition to funding of the Contras.

During the administration of President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Biehl was appointed Chile's ambassador to the United States. He was then appointed Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency, a cabinet-level role which serves as the link between the executive and the legislative. He served from 1998 to 1999.

After the government

As of 2023, Biehl worked for the Organization of American States (OAS), in the Department of Political Affairs. Among other things, he was named by the Secretary General, fellow Chilean José Miguel Insulza, special envoy to direct the mission to observe the regional and presidential elections in Nicaragua, conducted 5 March through 5 November 2006. Biehl died on 17 December 2023, at the age of 84.

References

1. ^ El Mercurio (Santiago), 31 May 1994, p.C2
2. ^ Stephen Kinzer and Robert Pear (7 August 1988). "Officials Assert U.S. Is Trying To Weaken Costa Rica Chief". The New York Times.
3. ^ El Mercurio (Santiago), 24 July 1994, p.D2
4. Martha Honey (1994), Hostile Acts: U.S. Policy in Costa Rica in the 1980s, University Press of Florida, ISBN 0-8130-1249-X, ISBN 978-0-8130-1249-0, pages 74-75
5. El Mercurio (Santiago), 1 August 1998, p.A1
6. Revista Envío
7. Organización de los Estados Americanos
8. "Fallece John Biehl, influyente asesor de Óscar Arias | Crhoy.com" (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 December 2023.

External links

• Interview with El Universal
• Interview with Al Día
• Brief biographical report by El Mercurio of Valparaíso

• 1939 births
• 2023 deaths
• Chilean Ministers Secretary General of the Presidency
• Chilean diplomats
• Ambassadors of Chile to the United States
• Chilean exiles
• Chilean people of Danish descent
• People from Valparaíso
• Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso alumni
• Alumni of the University of Essex
• 20th-century Chilean lawyers