Progressive Union of the Centrist Center
Encyclopedia
The Progressive Union of the Centrist Center (Spanish: Unión del Centro Centro Progresista, UCCP) was a small center-right political party in Chile.
The party was founded by supermarket tycoon Francisco Javier Errázuriz to support his candidacy in the 1989 presidential elections
. The charismatic Errázuriz emphasized that he was the only true centrist candidate, although his political ideology was slightly center-right. Errázuriz won 15.05% of the vote, but achieved little politically except to take votes from the right-wing candidate, Hernán Büchi
.
The UCCP then joined the right-wing alliance Union for Progress (Unión por el Progreso, today the Alliance for Chile
). Due to disagreements between the UCCP and the National Renewal
, one of the members of the Union for Progress, the UCCP broke with the alliance on 1995 and presented their own candidate, Arturo Frei
, for the 1999 presidential elections. Frei fared disastrously, gaining only 0.35% of the vote, the lowest percentage of any candidate since the end of the Pinochet régime.
On January 3, 2000, Senator Errázuriz retook control of the UCCP from Alejandro García and Agustín Benapres after they gave their support for Joaquín Lavín
in the 2000 runoff election. Many accused Errázuriz of wanting to be in charge of the party when it had formally given its support to Lavín so that he would be rewarded with a post in the Lavín government.
Errázuriz, the only UCCP member of Parliament, soon saw himself embroiled in various court cases. His term ended on 2000 and he decided to end his career in politics due to the court cases against him, the investigation into some of his companies, and the fact that three of them were bankrupt. Without their leader, the UCCP ceased to exist.
The party was founded by supermarket tycoon Francisco Javier Errázuriz to support his candidacy in the 1989 presidential elections
Chilean presidential election, 1989
A presidential election was held in Chile on 14 December 1989. This was one of the key events in the conclusion of the military dictatorship.-Results:Source: . -See also:*Chilean coup of 1973*Salvador Allende - deposed by 1973 coup...
. The charismatic Errázuriz emphasized that he was the only true centrist candidate, although his political ideology was slightly center-right. Errázuriz won 15.05% of the vote, but achieved little politically except to take votes from the right-wing candidate, Hernán Büchi
Hernán Büchi
Hernán Büchi Buc is a Chilean economist and politician. He served as Minister of the Treasury under the government of Augusto Pinochet between 1985 and 1989.After the recession of the early 1980s, Büchi's appointment as Finance Minister in 1985:...
.
The UCCP then joined the right-wing alliance Union for Progress (Unión por el Progreso, today the Alliance for Chile
Alliance for Chile
The Alliance for Chile , also known simply as The Alliance , was a coalition of right-wing Chilean political parties.The Alliance was replaced in 2009 by the Coalition for Change....
). Due to disagreements between the UCCP and the National Renewal
National Renewal
National Renewal may refer to:*National Renewal *National Renewal...
, one of the members of the Union for Progress, the UCCP broke with the alliance on 1995 and presented their own candidate, Arturo Frei
Arturo Frei
Arturo Frei Bolívar is a Chilean political figure, a former senator and presidential candidate in the 2000 election.He was born in Santiago, son of Arturo Frei Montalva and of Marcela Bolívar Le Fort. His uncle was Eduardo Frei Montalva, who would become president of Chile in 1964...
, for the 1999 presidential elections. Frei fared disastrously, gaining only 0.35% of the vote, the lowest percentage of any candidate since the end of the Pinochet régime.
On January 3, 2000, Senator Errázuriz retook control of the UCCP from Alejandro García and Agustín Benapres after they gave their support for Joaquín Lavín
Joaquín Lavín
Joaquín José Lavín Infante is a Chilean politician and economist. He is a member of the Independent Democrat Union party and former mayor of Santiago and Las Condes municipalities of capital Santiago...
in the 2000 runoff election. Many accused Errázuriz of wanting to be in charge of the party when it had formally given its support to Lavín so that he would be rewarded with a post in the Lavín government.
Errázuriz, the only UCCP member of Parliament, soon saw himself embroiled in various court cases. His term ended on 2000 and he decided to end his career in politics due to the court cases against him, the investigation into some of his companies, and the fact that three of them were bankrupt. Without their leader, the UCCP ceased to exist.