Although politically independent, those close to him[vague] describe him in his youth as opposed to the government of the Popular Unity (1970–1973).[4] It is noted that in that context his stance "clashed" with that of one of his brothers, Bernardo, who at the time was an active socialist militant.[4]
Professional career
In 1978,[6] shortly after graduating from university, he founded a construction company with two classmates, Francisco Javier Silva and Álvaro Izquierdo.[3][5] They began by building swimming pools and renovating homes until Pierre Lehmann, one of the owners of the construction firm Delta, commissioned them to build his retreat in Farellones.[2] This was followed by the renovation of the Embassy of Australia in Santiago and branches of Santiago Bank and Banco de Crédito e Inversiones.[2][5]
In 1982, he faced the severe economic crisis of that year from within one of the industries most affected nationwide. With no projects for a year and a half, he returned to salaried work, joining the Central Bank of Chile.[2] There he met his future wife, Francisca Alcaíno.[5] Three years later, the earthquake in central Chile generated strong demand for construction works, revitalizing the sector, after which he returned to his company.[5]
His involvement in business associations dates back to 1998, when he became vice president of the Contractors Committee of the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC). After that experience he remained active within the institution, serving as director, vice president of its affiliate Caja de Compensación Los Andes, and finally president of the trade association between 2002 and 2004, following the first competitive elections in three decades.[3][4][5]
His tenure as president was marked by controversy and involvement in what were described as "national issues".[4] First, when he demanded that Minister of Public Works Javier Etcheberry annul a multi-million-peso road tender;[2] later, during the so-called Gate Case, regarding 100 million pesos paid by contractor companies of the MOP for an environmental impact study that had no commercial value.[4] Echeverría publicly described the situation as "unacceptable".[5]
