# Clodomiro Almeyda

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Chilean politician (1923–1997)

In this [Chilean name](/source/Chilean_name), the first or paternal [surname](/source/Surname) is *Almeyda* and the second or maternal family name is *Medina*.

Clodomiro Almeyda Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile In office 9 August 1973 – 11 September 1973 President Salvador Allende Preceded by Orlando Letelier Succeeded by Ismael Huerta In office 3 November 1970 – 22 May 1973 President Salvador Allende Preceded by Gabriel Valdés Succeeded by Orlando Letelier Minister of National Defense of Chile In office 5 July 1973 – 9 August 1973 President Salvador Allende Preceded by José Tohá Succeeded by Carlos Prats Minister of Mining of Chile In office 25 June 1953 – 14 October 1953 President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Preceded by Rafael Tarud Succeeded by Francisco Cuevas Mackenna Minister of Labor of Chile In office 3 November 1952 – 10 March 1953 President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Preceded by Juan Atala Succeeded by Leandro Moreno Garrido Personal details Born José Clodomiro Almeyda Medina (1923-02-11)11 February 1923 Santiago, Chile Died 25 August 1997(1997-08-25) (aged 74) Santiago, Chile Resting place Santiago General Cemetery Party Socialist Party of Chile Alma mater University of Chile

**José Clodomiro Almeyda Medina**[1] (February 11, 1923 – August 25, 1997) was a [Chilean](/source/Chilean_people) lawyer, professor and politician. A leading member of the [Socialist Party of Chile](/source/Socialist_Party_of_Chile), he served as [Minister of Foreign Affairs](/source/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Chile)) from 1970 to 1973 during the [presidency of Salvador Allende](/source/Presidency_of_Salvador_Allende).

## Biography

### Early life

Almeyda was born in [Santiago](/source/Santiago). After studying at the German High School and Application High School of Santiago, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law of the [University of Chile](/source/University_of_Chile). He graduated in 1948 with a thesis entitled *Hacia una teoría marxista del Estado* ("Towards a [Marxist](/source/Marxism) Theory of the State"). He later worked as a professor of [political science](/source/Political_science) at the Department of Sociology at the university.

### Political career

He joined the [Socialist Party of Chile](/source/Socialist_Party_of_Chile) in 1941, and participated in the [Popular Socialist Party](/source/Popular_Socialist_Party_(Chile)) during the internal rifts in the first part of the 1950s. During the second government of [Carlos Ibáñez del Campo](/source/Carlos_Ib%C3%A1%C3%B1ez_del_Campo) he was Minister of Labor and Mining, standing out in his first ministry for being a promoter for the [Workers' United Center of Chile](/source/Workers'_United_Center_of_Chile) (CUT). Almeyda resigned from his ministerial roles in 1953, due to conflicts between his party and Ibáñez del Campo.[2] With the reunification of the Socialist Party in 1957, he rejoined the organization and was a member of the [Chamber of Deputies](/source/Chamber_of_Deputies) between 1961 and 1965. From 1966, he served as director of the School of Sociology of the University of Chile.[2]

With the victory of [Salvador Allende](/source/Salvador_Allende) in the [1970 Chilean presidential election](/source/1970_Chilean_presidential_election), Almeyda was appointed to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. He remained in office during almost the entire [Popular Unity](/source/Popular_Unity_(Chile)) government, except for a period from May 1973, when he left office after being elected a member of the Political Commission of the Socialist Party; he was appointed [Minister of National Defense](/source/Ministry_of_National_Defense_(Chile)) in July, but held the position for only one month before he was again appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.[2]

### Coup d'état

After the [coup d'état of September 11, 1973](/source/1973_Chilean_coup_d'%C3%A9tat), which overthrew the constitutional government, Almeyda was arrested and transferred along with 99 other Popular Unity leaders and activists to [Dawson Island](/source/Dawson_Island) concentration camp, where he was tortured and held under arrest for a long time. He eventually went into exile in [Romania](/source/Romania), the [German Democratic Republic](/source/German_Democratic_Republic) and [Mexico](/source/Mexico), where he worked as a university teacher and a leader of the exiled opposition to the [military dictatorship](/source/Military_dictatorship_of_Chile) of General [Augusto Pinochet](/source/Augusto_Pinochet). In 1979, he was elected secretary-general of the Socialist Party in exile.[2]

### Return to Chile

In a daring maneuver, he clandestinely returned to Chile in March 1987, crossing the [Andes](/source/Andes) on the back of a mule, and later appearing publicly to the surprise of the authorities of the Pinochet regime. This led to him being the only person declared unconstitutional by the [Constitutional Court of Chile](/source/Constitutional_Court_of_Chile), in use of the now defunct article 8 of the [Constitution of Chile](/source/Chilean_Constitution_of_1980);[3] the article outlawed political parties and individuals that propagated [leftist](/source/Leftism) political ideology (ideologies that promoted a doctrine "founded on [class struggle](/source/Class_struggle)"). The Constitutional Court ordered the removal of Almeyda's [civil and political rights](/source/Civil_and_political_rights) for ten years, and he would only be rehabilitated as a citizen after the end of the military dictatorship and Chile's [transition to democracy](/source/Chilean_transition_to_democracy).[4] In addition to his loss of rights, Almeyda was internally exiled to the town of [Chile Chico](/source/Chile_Chico) in [Patagonia](/source/Patagonia).[2]

### Post-dictatorship

In the years after Chile's democratic transition, Almeyda led the leftist faction of the Socialist Party, in opposition to the centrist wing led by [Ricardo Núñez Muñoz](/source/Ricardo_N%C3%BA%C3%B1ez_Mu%C3%B1oz).[5] In this role, Almeyda tried to establish contacts with the [Communist Party of Chile](/source/Communist_Party_of_Chile) and other far-left parties, through formations such as Izquierda Unida and the short-lived [Broad Party of Socialist Left](/source/Broad_Party_of_Socialist_Left). During the presidency of [Patricio Aylwin](/source/Patricio_Aylwin) he was in charge of reopening the Chilean embassy in [Moscow](/source/Moscow) in 1991, shortly before the fall of the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union); he served as ambassador to the Soviet Union, and then [Russia](/source/Russia), until 1992. During his tenure, he gave refuge to former East German president [Erich Honecker](/source/Erich_Honecker), who was wanted by the authorities of reunified [Germany](/source/Germany) to be tried for murder for responsibility in the shooting of people trying to cross the [Berlin Wall](/source/Berlin_Wall). Despite Chile's objections, Russian president [Boris Yeltsin](/source/Boris_Yeltsin) ordered Honecker's deportation to [Berlin](/source/Berlin), in what turned into a serious diplomatic incident.[6]

After returning to Chile, Almeyda devoted himself to private life, writing his memoirs and working as an academic at the Department of Sociology at the University of Chile. Following his death, the Chilean government announced three [national days of mourning](/source/National_day_of_mourning). He is buried in [Santiago General Cemetery](/source/Santiago_General_Cemetery).[2]

## Tributes

In homage to Almeyda, the Extraordinary Congress of the Socialist Party of Chile, held in May 1998, as well as its library, was named after him.[7]

## Honours and awards

### Foreign honours

Ribbon Distinction Country Date Reference Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru Peru 14 September 1971 [8] Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Spain 7 June 1972 [9] Order of Karl Marx German Democratic Republic 11 February 1983 [10] Gold Star of Peoples' Friendship German Democratic Republic 11 February 1983 [11] Order of Friendship of Peoples Soviet Union 10 February 1988 [12] Order of Friendship Czechoslovakia 11 February 1988 [13]

### Honorary degrees

- [Mexico](/source/Mexico): Honorary Degree from the [University of Guadalajara](/source/University_of_Guadalajara), 24 October 1978[2]

- [German Democratic Republic](/source/East_Germany): Honorary Degree from [Wilhelm Pieck University](/source/University_of_Rostock), [Rostock](/source/Rostock), 11 February 1983[10]

## See also

- [UN Trade and Development III](/source/UN_Trade_and_Development_III)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["José Clodomiro Almeyda Medina (1923-1997)"](https://archivocidoc.uft.cl/index.php/jose-clodomiro-almeyda-medina-1923-1997;isaar?sf_culture=es). *Centro de Investigación y Documentación, Facultad de Humanidades y Comunicationes*. [Universidad Finis Terrae](/source/Finis_Terrae_University). Retrieved 21 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Udg_2-6) ["Almeyda Medina, Clodomiro"](http://enciclopedia.udg.mx/biografias/almeyda-medina-clodomiro). *Enciclopedia histórica y biográfica de la Universidad de Guadalajara* (in Spanish). [Universidad de Guadalajara](/source/University_of_Guadalajara). Retrieved 20 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Tribunal Constitucional"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061130122336/http://www.tribunalconstitucional.cl/site/roles/rol_n46.html). 2006-11-30. Archived from [the original](http://www.tribunalconstitucional.cl/site/roles/rol_n46.html) on 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2020-10-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Tribunal Constitucional"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071008215311/http://www.tribunalconstitucional.cl/site/roles/rol_n113.html). 2007-10-08. Archived from [the original](http://www.tribunalconstitucional.cl/site/roles/rol_n113.html) on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2020-10-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The Media in the Chilean Transition to Democracy: Context, Process and Evaluation (1990-2000"](https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws%3A3652/datastream/PDF/view).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Honecker Remains in Chilean Ambassador's Home Despite Midnight Deadline"](https://apnews.com/article/9717df6d4f1f0607b8b2b62c7bc5d4cf). *AP NEWS*. Retrieved 2020-11-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** GritoGrafías. ["Clodomiro y Manuel Almeyda. La sombra de dos árboles | Gritografias en Red"](https://gritografiasenred.org/?p=661). Retrieved 2020-11-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["CONDECORADOS: ORDEN EL SOL DEL PERU"](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/152563pdf/256576536#1). *Slideshare.net*. [Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores](/source/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Peru)). p. 46. Retrieved 21 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Decreto 1441/1972, de 7 de junio, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica al señor Clodomiro Almeyda Medina"](https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1972-41376). *Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado* (in Spanish). [Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes](/source/Ministry_of_the_Presidency%2C_Justice_and_Relations_with_the_Cortes). Retrieved 20 July 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DiazGonzalez_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DiazGonzalez_10-1) Díaz González, Francisco (2019). [*El exilio del socialismo chileno en la RDA. La transición política del Partido Socialista de Chile y su relación con el Partido Socialista Unificado de Alemania. 1974 – 1989*](https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/fub188/25187/Tesis_Francisco_D%C3%ADaz_Gonz%C3%A1lez.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y) (PDF) (in Spanish). Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin. p. 196. Retrieved 20 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Honecker, Erich](/source/Erich_Honecker) (1985). [*Reden und Aufsätze. Bd. 9*](https://d-nb.info/850855314/04). Berlin: Dietz Verlag. p. 195. Retrieved 20 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР О награждении тов. Клодомиро Альмейды орденом Дружбы народов"](https://tert.nla.am/archive/NLA%20TERT/SSRM19381954/1988/7.pdf) (PDF). 1988. Retrieved 20 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Řád přátelství (zřízen zákonem č. 152/1976 Sb. ze dne 14. prosince 1976)"](https://www.prazskyhradarchiv.cz/file/edee/vyznamenani/rp.pdf) (PDF) (in Czech). Archiv Kanceláře prezidenta republiky. Retrieved 20 July 2025.

Political offices Preceded by Juan Atala Minister of Labor 1952–1953 Succeeded by Leandro Moreno Preceded by Rafael Tarud Minister of Mining 1953 Succeeded by Francisco Cuevas Preceded by Gabriel Valdés Minister of Foreign Affairs 1970–1973 Succeeded by Orlando Letelier Preceded by José Tohá Minister of Defense 1973 Succeeded by Carlos Prats Preceded by Orlando Letelier Minister of Foreign Affairs 1973 Succeeded by Ismael Huerta

v t e Salvador Allende Life and politics Biography Presidential elections of 1952 / 1958 / 1964 / 1970 Presidency Tanquetazo 1973 coup d'état Death Policies Vuskovic plan Economic policy Nationalization of copper Schneider Doctrine Project Cybersyn Perceptions Project FUBELT Public image Schneider Doctrine Allies Carlos Prats Carlos Altamirano Orlando Letelier José Tohá Pedro Vuskovic Edgardo Enríquez Andre Gunder Frank Family Ramón Allende Padín Laura Allende Hortensia Bussi Beatriz Allende Isabel Allende (Bussi) Andrés Pascal Allende Isabel Allende Paula Frías Allende Maya Fernández

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clodomiro Almeyda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clodomiro_Almeyda) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clodomiro_Almeyda?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.