Background
Bernardo Leighton was the son of Judge Bernardino Leighton Gajardo and Sinforosa Guzmán Gallegos. He grew up with admiration for his father, a reputed "justice man".
Bernardo Leighton was the son of Judge Bernardino Leighton Gajardo and Sinforosa Guzmán Gallegos. He grew up with admiration for his father, a reputed "justice man".
In 1933 he graduated as a lawyer with a thesis on rural works.
Leighton spent his childhood in Los Angeles, Chile, in the Bío Bío Province. In 1921, Leighton moved to Concepción for studies and an apprenticeship in the lay section of a seminary. Political life
As the student leader at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, he participated in the 1927 riots against Carlos Ibáñez del Campo"s dictatorship, which was deposed in 1931.
During the same year, Leighton was sent by the Minister Marcial Mora to Coquimbo to placate the local military riots supported by the population.
In 1937, Leighton was appointed Minister of Labor by Arturo Alessandri Palma. In 1945, he was elected a deputy in the Chamber of Deputies, for a Antofagasta constituency.
Leighton also served as Minister of Education in the Videla Government (1946–1952), and as Minister of the Interior in the Montalva Government (1964–1970). He was re-elected in 1969, and served as Deputy until the Chilean coup d"état of 1973.
Exile and assassination attempt
Leighton"s criticism of the military government resulted in his exile from Chile.
According to Central Intelligence Agency documents released by the National Security Archive, Italian terrorist and neo-fascist sympathizer Stefano Delle Chiaie met with DINA agent Michael Townley and Cuban Virgilio Paz Romero in Madrid in 1975 to prepare for the murder of Bernardo Leighton with the help of Francisco Franco"s secret police. The day after the attack, Leighton"s brain was operated on in an attempt to prevent loss of speech. However, his brain was severely damaged.
This event brought about the end of his pacification intentions to reunite the various groups opposing Pinochet, including the lefts.
In 1978, the Chilean government allowed Leighton to return to Chile from Italy, and he retired to a private life. He died on January 26, 1995 in Santiago, Chile.