List of Chileans
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
This is a list of Chileans who are famous or notable.
Bernardo O'Higgins, founder of modern Chile
Contents
Economists
- Ricardo J. Caballero – MIT professor, Department of Economics
- Sebastián Edwards – UCLA professor, former World Bank officer (1993–1996), prolific author and media personality
- Nicolás Eyzaguirre – former Finance Minister
- Alejandro Foxley – Chile's first Finance Minister after the return of democracy in 1990 and an engineer of the country's economic miracle during democracy; former Foreign Affairs minister, and former Chilean Senator for East Santiago
- Manfred Max Neef – Right Livelihood Award winner, presidential candidate, member of the Club of Rome, former president of the Universidad Austral
- José Piñera – implemented the privatization of the Chilean pension system under Pinochet
- Andrés Velasco – Sumitomo Professor of International Finance and Development in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Finance Minister during Bachelet's administration
Military
- Manuel Baquedano – General of the Chilean Forces during the War of the Pacific
- Philip Bazaar – recipient of the Navy Medal of Honour
- José Miguel Carrera – first Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army and Independence leader of the Patria Vieja
- Luis Carrera – Chilean Military Officer in the War of Independence
- Caupolicán – leader of the Mapuche who fiercely resisted the Spanish conquest of Chile
- Carlos Condell – captain of the Covadonga ship at the Iquique Naval Combat
- Manuel Contreras – head of Augusto Pinochet's National Intelligence Directorate (DINA)
- Pedro de Valdivia – Royal Governor of Chile and Lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro
- Manuel Rodríguez – Independence leader and guerrilla leader during the Reconquista
- Lautaro – Mapuche indigenous military leader during the Spanish conquest of Chile
- Patricio Lynch – Governor of Lima during the Chilean occupation of Lima, Perú, during the War of the Pacific
- Juan MacKenna – Irish-born organizer of O'Higgins's Army
- Bernardo O'Higgins – founder of modern Chile
- Luis Pardo - also known as Piloto Pardo, Chilean Navy Captain who rescued the survivors of the Shackleton expedition
- Ignacio Carrera Pinto – Captain in charge of the Chilean patrol who died in Battle of La Concepción
- Arturo Prat – captain of the Esmeralda ship at the Iquique Naval Combat; regarded as a national hero
- Eleuterio Ramírez – officer, hero of the War of the Pacific
- José Ignacio Zenteno – Lieutenant Colonel of the Army of the Andes, Minister of War and Marine in the O'Higgins government
Musicians
- Los Abandoned – alternative rock band
- Américo – cumbia chilena singer
- Tom Araya – singer/bassist for thrash metal band Slayer
- Claudio Arrau – classical piano player
- Germán Casas – 1960s singer
- Beto Cuevas – lead singer from rock group La Ley
- Luis 'Lucho' Gatica – bolero singer
- Eduardo Gatti – a leading composer of modern Chilean music
- Jorge González – controversial lead singer and songwriter of historic Chilean rock band Los Prisioneros
- Rodrigo González – bassist and singer of the German band die Ärzte
- Alberto Guerrero – Chilean–Canadian composer, pianist, and teacher
- Myriam Hernández – popular music singer
- Inti-Illimani – pioneers of the nueva canción chilena movement; known communists and "pro-democracy" activists in exile during Pinochet dictatorship
- Víctor Jara – Chilean folk singer and theatrical director; political activist; communist
- DJ Méndez – urban music producer
- Dave McGraw - drummer for death metal band Cattle Decapitation
- La Noche – cumbia chilena band
- Chañaral Ortega-Miranda – contemporary composer
- Ángel Parra – folk musician (nueva canción); son of Violeta Parra
- Isabel Parra – folk musician; daughter of Violeta Parra
- Javiera Parra – lead singer from group Javiera y los Imposibles
- Violeta Parra – Chilean folk singer
- Antonio Prieto - singer and actor known in English for "The Bride" or "The Wedding" song
- Quilapayún – nueva canción ensemble, supporters of Popular Unity (UP) coalition during presidency of Salvador Allende
- Leo Rey – cumbia chilena singer
- Alejandro Silva – heavy metal guitar player
- Clara Solovera (1909-1992) – songwriter, born in Santiago
- Esther Soré (1915-1996) – 1940s singer, born in Santiago
- Francisca Valenzuela - singer and songwriter
- Ricardo Villalobos – minimal techno artist
- Verónica Villarroel – soprano
- Ramón Vinay – tenor
Artists
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- Claudio Bravo (1936–2011) – hyper-realist painter
- Carlos Catasse – painter
- Marta Colvin – sculptor
- Alfredo Jaar – installation artist, filmmaker and architect
- Olga Lehmann – painter
- Roberto Matta – painter, sculptor
- Camilo Mori – painter
- Carlos Sotomayor – cubist painter
- Miguel Venegas – painter, called "El Maestro" (the Master)
Politicians
- Juana Rosa Aguirre – former first lady, wife of Pedro Aguirre Cerda
- Arturo Alessandri – served twice as president of Chile
- Jorge Alessandri – 27th President of Chile; President of Council of State under Pinochet Regime
- Salvador Allende – former senator and president of Chile; ousted in a military coup
- Clodomiro Almeyda – socialist politician
- Soledad Alvear – former Justice minister and Foreign minister; current PDC senator
- Michelle Bachelet – first woman president of Chile
- Carlos Dávila – former Secretary General of the Organization of American States
- Florencio Durán – former president of the senate
- Fernando Flores – businessman and former senator
- Gabriel González Videla - 25th President of Chile (1946-1952)
- Jaime Guzmán – right wing politician during the Pinochet regime; murdered by Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front on April 1, 1991; former UDI Senator
- Tomás Hirsch – former president of the Humanist Party of Chile; 2005 candidate for president
- José Miguel Insulza – former Interior minister; current Secretary General of the Organization of American States
- Carlos Keller - former Leader of the National Socialist Movement of Chile, responsible for the organization of the Seguro Obrero Massacre
- Joaquín Lavín – Independent Democratic Union candidate for presidency in 2005 election; former mayor of Las Condes and Santiago
- Orlando Letelier – Foreign Minister during Salvador Allende's government murdered during the Pinochet regime in Washington, D.C.
- Gladys Marín – communist leader, feminist activist, lived in exile, opposed conservatism and liberal economy, admirer of Lenin and Marx
- Sebastián Piñera – Chilean billionaire, businessman and politician; former President of Chile
- Anibal Pinto - 9th President of Chile (1876-1881)
- Augusto Pinochet – Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Chile, President of the Government Junta of Chile, and dictator from 1973 until 1990
- Diego Portales – Minister, major designer of the Chilean State during the first half of the 19th century
- Laura Rodríguez – first Humanist Party deputy in the world
- Chris Watson – third Prime Minister of Australia
- Adolfo Zaldívar – PRI senator, former leader of the PDC
- Andrés Zaldívar – former PDC senator
Religious figures
- Saint Teresa de los Andes – first Chilean saint
- Carlos Camus – Chilean bishop
- Francisco Javier Errázuriz – fourth Chilean cardinal
- Juan Francisco Fresno – third Chilean cardinal
- Raúl Silva Henríquez – second Chilean cardinal born in Talca; human rights advocate
- Alberto Hurtado - saint
- Jorge Medina – fifth Chilean cardinal; conservative figure
- Fr. Juan Ignacio Molina – Chilean priest, naturalist, historian, botanist, ornithologist, geographer
- José María Caro Rodríguez – first Chilean cardinal
- Juan Subercaseaux Errázuriz – Chilean Roman Catholic Archbishop
- José María Vélaz – Chilean priest
- Blessed Laura Vicuña
Sports
- Omar Aguilar – long-distance runner
- Marlene Ahrens – javelin thrower; Olympic silver medalist
- Fernando Alvarez – jockey
- David Arellano – football player; namesake of Colo-Colo's stadium
- Luis Ayala – tennis player; twice French Open finalist
- Claudio Bravo - football player, FC Barcelona
- Nick Carle – football player, Sydney FC
- Carlos Caszely – football player
- Patricio Cornejo – tennis player, 1976 Davis Cup finalist
- Carlo de Gavardo – KTM rally motorcyclist
- Elías Figueroa – football player; three times elected as Best Football Player of America
- Jaime Fillol – tennis player, 1976 Davis Cup finalist
- Arturo Godoy – boxer, fought Joe Louis twice for the World Heavyweight title
- Fernando González – tennis player; only Chilean to win gold, silver and bronze medals at the Summer Olympics
- Alberto Larraguibel – horse rider, record for puissance (high jump) on horseback
- Sergio Sapo Livingstone – Chilean football goalkeeper
- Anita Lizana – tennis player; 1937 US Open champion; first Latin American, and first Hispanic person, to be ranked World Number 1 in tennis
- Nicolás Massú – tennis player; highest world ranking #9, Olympic 2-time champion (singles and doubles)
- Carlos Moreno – track and field sprinter
- Iván Morovic – chess International Grandmaster
- Érika Olivera – marathon runner; gold medal winner in women's marathon at the 1999 Pan American Games
- Manuel Pellegrini - former footballer player for Universidad de Chile, former manager of Real Madrid
- Alejandra Ramos – middle-distance runner
- Monica Regonesi – long-distance runner
- Fernando Riera - Chile's most successful soccer coach; led the national team to a third place finish in the 1962 World Cup
- Marcelo Ríos – first Latin American man to become world number-one tennis player
- Eduardo Robledo – football player, Newcastle United F.C.
- Jorge Robledo – player, Newcastle United F.C.
- Jose Romero – AFL player, Western Bulldogs
- Sebastián Rozental – football player
- Marcelo Salas – football player; holds the record for most goals playing for the national team; won titles with every team he played with
- Eliseo Salazar – race car driver, ompeted in Formula One intermittently from 1980–1982, moved to Champ Car and the Indy Racing League
- Alexis Sánchez – football player, Arsenal F.C.
- Leonel Sánchez – football player, 1962 World Cup top scorer
- José Santos – jockey, winner of US Triple Crown
- Alejandro Silva – long-distance runner
- Pablo Squella – middle-distance runner
- José Sulantay - Chile's second most successful soccer coach, led the under 20 national team to a third place finish at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada
- Emilio Ulloa – long-distance runner
- Dion Valle – football player, Marconi Stallions FC
- Rodrigo Vargas – football player, Melbourne Victory FC
- Arturo Vidal - football player, Bayern Munich
- Gert Weil – shot putter
- Iván Zamorano – football player
Scientists and engineers
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- Ricardo Baeza Rodríguez - mathematician
- Ricardo Baeza-Yates – computer scientist
- Erik Bongcam-Rudloff – bioinformatician
- Claudio Bunster – physicist
- Marcela Contreras – immunologist
- F. J. Duarte – laser physicist
- Matias Duarte – software inventor
- Julio M. Fernandez – biologist, academic
- Eric Goles – mathematician
- Mario Hamuy – cosmologist and astronomer
- Adriana Hoffmann – botanist, Environment Minister (2000–2001)
- Humberto Maturana – biologist, co-author of the theory of autopoiesis
- Juan Ignacio Molina – 18th and 19th-century natural scientist
- Ernestina Pérez Barahona, physician
- María Teresa Ruiz – astronomer
- Pablo DT Valenzuela – biotechnologist, co-founder of Chiron Corporation and Fundacion Ciencias Para la Vida
- Francisco Varela – biologist, co-author of the theory of autopoiesis
Film and television personalities
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- Jason Acuña - actor
- Cecilia Amenábar - actress
- Cecilia Bolocco – former Miss Universe, TV host
- Santiago Cabrera - actor
- Felipe Camiroaga - TV presenter
- Martín Cárcamo - TV presenter
- Charissa Chamorro - actress
- Cristián de la Fuente - actor
- Cote de Pablo – actress (plays Ziva David in the TV series NCIS)
- Karen Doggenweiler - TV presenter
- Pablo Francisco - comedian
- Alberto Fuguet - film director
- Jorge Garcia - actor
- Luis Gatica - actor
- Lisa Guerrero - media journalist, TV presenter, actress, model
- Patricio Guzmán - film director
- Alejandro Jodorowsky - filmmaker
- Mario Kreutzberger (Don Francisco) – host of television show Sábado Gigante
- Claudio Miranda - cinematographer
- Cristina Montt - actress
- Pedro Pascal - actor, Game of Thrones, The Mentalist, Graceland
- Carlos Pinto - TV presenter
- Nicole Polizzi – cast member of Jersey Shore
- Antonio Prieto - actor and singer ("La Novia", known in Great Britain and the US as "The Wedding")
- Francisco Puelles - actor and television personality
- Julián Ríos - actor
- Raúl Ruiz - film director
- Horatio Sanz - actor and comedian
- Fernando Solis - radio and TV host
- Catalina Vallejos - actress and model
- Leonor Varela - actress and model
- Alexander Witt - filmmaker
- Andrés Wood - film director
Writers
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- Fernando Alegría – writer
- Isabel Allende – novelist (The House of Spirits)
- Roberto Ampuero – novelist (Cayetano Brulé series)
- Roberto Bolaño – novelist (The Savage Detectives)
- Francisco Coloane – (Tierra del fuego)
- Angel Cruchaga Santa Maria (1893–1964) - writer, won the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1948
- Eugenio Cruz Vargas (1923-2014) - poet and painter, of Basque descent
- Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán - writer of Cautiverio feliz y razón individual de las guerras dilatadas del Reino de Chile in 1673
- Pablo de Rokha - Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1965
- José Donoso – writer (Coronation)
- Ariel Dorfman – novelist, playwright (Death and the Maiden), academic, essayist, journalist and human rights activist
- Jorge Edwards – 1999 Cervantes Prize winner
- Alberto Fuguet – novelist; short story writer, Mala Onda, Las películas de mi vida; filmmaker, Se Arrienda
- Alberto Blest Gana – novelist (Martín Rivas)
- Juan Guzman Cruchaga (1895–1979) - poet and diplomat, won the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1962; of Basque descent
- Óscar Hahn – writer and poet
- Vicente Huidobro – father of the "Creationism" movement in Paris
- Cristián Huneeus – writer
- Enrique Lafourcade – novelist
- Hernán Rivera Letelier – novelist (Santa María de las Flores Negras, La Reina Isabel Cantaba Rancheras), poet, writer of short stories
- Enrique Lihn - poet, playwright, and novelist
- Carmen Marai – novelist El Alba de la Mandrágora (The Dawn of the Mandrake), poet, writer of short stories
- Gabriela Mistral – winner of the Nobel prize for literature
- Pablo Neruda – winner of the Nobel prize for literature
- Nicanor Parra – self-proclaimed "anti-poet"
- Gonzalo Rojas – 2004 Cervantes Prize winner
- Jorge Salgado-Reyes - publisher, novelist and author of Altered States, a cyberpunk sci-fi anthology; Spooky Halloween Drabbles 2014; British Process Servers Guide
- Elvira Santa Cruz Ossa - dramatist and novelist
- Luis Sepúlveda – novelist
- Antonio Skármeta – author of Ardiente Paciencia (Burning Patience), which inspired the movie Il Postino (The Postman), about poet Pablo Neruda
- Mercedes Valdivieso – writer
- Sergio Vodanović – playwright
Others
- Vanessa Ceruti - Miss Universe Chile 2011
- Nataly Chilet - Miss World Chile 2008
- Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente
- Claudio Grossman – chairman of the Human Rights Interamerican Court
- Hil Hernández - Miss Earth 2006
- Carlos Kaiser – former National Director of the National Fund for Disabilities
- Mathias Klotz – winner of the Borromini Prize of Architecture in 2001 for under-40 architects
- Themo Lobos – comic artist
- Andrónico Luksic – chairman of Quiñenco Holdings, which owns Banco de Chile, Antofagasta Minerals, one of the largest Chilean financial groups
- La Quintrala - Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, aristocratic and sadistic landowner and witch during the Colonial Period
- Rene Ríos Boettiger (Pepo) – comic artist (Condorito)
- Juan Somavia – Director-General of the International Labour Organization
- Joaquín Toesca – designer of the presidential house "La Moneda", in Santiago
- Arturo Valenzuela – former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
- Camila Vallejo - member of the Chilean Communist Youth, led 2011 student protests in Chile
- Bernardita Zúñiga - Miss World Chile 2007
