Luis Alberto Héber Explained

Luis Alberto Heber
Parents:Mario Heber Usher
María Fontana Etchepare
Spouse:Adriana Currás
Party:National Party
Birth Place:Montevideo, Uruguay
Birth Date:22 December 1957
Birth Name:Luis Alberto Heber Fontana
Office4:Representative of Uruguay
for Rivera
Term Start4:14 February 1985
Term End4:13 February 1995
Office3:Senator of Uruguay
Term End3:15 February 2020
Term Start3:2 March 1995
Office2:President of the National Party
Term End2:16 April 2018
Term Start2:13 January 2011
Succeeded2:Beatriz Argimón
Predecessor2:Luis Alberto Lacalle
Office1:Minister of Transport and Public Works
President1:Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou
Successor1:José Luis Falero
Predecessor1:Victor Rossi
Term End1:24 May 2021
Term Start1:1 March 2020
Office:Minister of Interior
President:Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou
Successor:Nicolás Martinelli
Predecessor:Jorge Larrañaga
Term End:6 November 2023
Term Start:24 May 2021

Luis Alberto Heber Fontana (born 1957) is a Uruguayan political figure of the National Party who served as Minister of Interior between May 24, 2021 and November 2023.[1] He previously served as Minister of Transport and Public Works (from March 1, 2020 to May 24, 2021),[2] Senator (1995–2020) and as National Representative (1985–1995).

Background

Luis Alberto Héber comes from a prominent Uruguayan National Party family; he himself has also for many years associated himself with this party's cause. His father Mario Héber Usher was a prominent Senator among his Party's leadership. His uncle Alberto Héber Usher was President of Uruguay 1966–1967. He was married to the late Beatrice Dominici, Italian, until her death. They have two daughters.[3]

Political career

In 1989 Heber was elected to serve as a National Representative, and served as President of the Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay from March 1, 1993 to March 1, 1994.[4] In the 1994 election he was elected Senator, and in subsequent years was repeatedly re-elected.[5]

Heber was appointed Minister of Transport and Public Works on December 16, 2019, days after the victory of Luis Lacalle Pou. He took office on March 1, in replacement of Víctor Rossi.[6] However, after the sudden death of Interior Minister Jorge Larrañaga, on May 24, 2021,[7] President Lacalle Pou carried out a cabinet reshuffle; Héber was appointed in replacement of Larrañaga as head of the Ministry of the Interior, and José Luis Falero held the ministerial portfolio of Transport and Public Works.[8] [9]

Family incident and diplomatic repercussions

It has been notably alleged by Senator Luis Alberto Héber, who is a son of Cecilia Fontana de Héber, assassinated by person(s) unknown in 1978, that records may show that the US Embassy in Montevideo had knowledge of this tragic incident. According to Senator Héber, his mother was assassinated because of efforts of local secret intelligence circles to preserve in office President Aparicio Méndez, alleged again by Senator Héber to have been a CIA asset. Again according to Senator Héber, the US Embassy was playing a 'double game' in 1978, talking human rights but simultaneously working with Uruguayan secret intelligence figures in order to defend President Méndez's position.[10]

In 2008 US Ambassador to Uruguay Frank E. Baxter was involved in controversial, high level exchanges regarding Uruguayan investigations into Senator Héber's mother's assassination and the allegations which arose from the tragic incident.

See also

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Luis Alberto Heber será el ministro del Interior y José Luis Falero encabezará Transporte .
  2. Web site: Nuevos secretarios de Estado firmaron Libro de Actas ante el flamante presidente, Luis Lacalle Pou - Presidencia de la República. www.presidencia.gub.uy. 2020-03-05.
  3. Web site: Lacalle y Heber, desde el fondo de los tiempos . 28 May 2021 . . Arregui . Miguel . es .
  4. Web site: Parlamentarios Uruguayos 1830-2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204334/http://www.parlamento.gub.uy/htmlstat/PL/OtrosDocumentos/ParlamentariosUruguayos.pdf. dead. October 29, 2013. October 29, 2013. PRESIDENCIA DE LA ASAMBLEA GENERAL Y DEL SENADO PRESIDENCIA DE LA CAMARA DE REPRESENTANTES. www.parlamento.gub.uy.
  5. 'Luis Alberto Heber Fontana', Wikipedia (in Spanish),
  6. Web site: Uruguay. Presidencia de la República Oriental del. Nuevos secretarios de Estado firmaron Libro de Actas ante el flamante presidente, Luis Lacalle Pou - Presidencia de la República. 2021-05-30. Presidencia de la República Oriental del Uruguay. es-ES.
  7. Web site: Uruguay's interior minister Jorge Larrañaga dies at 64. 2021-05-30. www.efe.com. en.
  8. Web site: Observador. El. Luis Alberto Heber será el nuevo ministro del Interior y Falero irá a Transporte. 2021-05-30. El Observador.
  9. Web site: ElPais. Lacalle eligió a Heber para Interior por "capacidad política"; Falero irá a Transporte por su manejo del área. 2021-05-30. Diario EL PAIS Uruguay. 25 May 2021 . spanish.
  10. (in Spanish) Heber - fueron los servicios de inteligencia Caras y Caretas (Uruguay), 12 January 2016, http://www.carasycaretas.com.uy/heber-fueron-los-servicios-de-inteligencia/