Luis Alberto Héber

Luis Alberto Heber Fontana (born 1957) is a Uruguayan political figure of the National Party, serving as Minister of Interior, since May 24, 2021.[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).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Heber and the second or maternal family name is Fontana.
Luis Alberto Heber
Minister of Interior
Assumed office
24 May 2021
PresidentLuis Alberto Lacalle Pou
Preceded byJorge Larrañaga
Minister of Transport and Public Works
In office
1 March 2020 – 24 May 2021
PresidentLuis Alberto Lacalle Pou
Preceded byVictor Rossi
Succeeded byJosé Luis Falero
President of the National Party
In office
13 January 2011 – 16 April 2018
Preceded byLuis Alberto Lacalle
Succeeded byBeatriz Argimón
Senator of Uruguay
In office
2 March 1995 – 15 February 2020
Representative of Uruguay
for Rivera
In office
14 February 1985 – 13 February 1995
Personal details
Born
Luis Alberto Heber Fontana

(1957-12-22) 22 December 1957
Montevideo, Uruguay
Political partyNational Party
SpouseAdriana Currás
Children
  • Victoria Blanca
  • Emilia
Parent(s)Mario Heber Usher
María Fontana Etchepare

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


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