Who is Sebastián Piñera married to? All about his wife and kids as former Chilean President dies in crash

Sebastián Piñera, the former President of Chile, met his untimely demise in a helicopter crash on Tuesday, February 6. He died at the age of 74 years. The nation he led for two terms is now in mourning.

The helicopter, carrying Sebastián Piñera and three other individuals, crashed into Lake Ranco in the Los Ríos region of southern Chile around 3:30 pm on Tuesday, February 6. Despite rescue efforts, Piñera was pronounced dead shortly after the incident. The three other passengers managed to survive after swimming to the shore.

Piñera was the first conservative leader since the era of military dictatorship. He was a prominent political figure in Chile during his two presidential terms between 2010-2014 and again from 2018 to 2022, as reported by Reuters.

Beyond his political career, Piñera was known for his status as a billionaire businessman and investor. Sebastián Piñera was married to Cecilia Morel, an eminent figure in Chilean society. They also brought up a family that had four children.

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Know more about Sebastián Piñera's wife and children

María Cecilia Morel Montes, born on January 14, 1954, holds a significant place in Chilean history as the former First Lady and widow of the late President Sebastián Piñera. During her husband’s presidency, she held the position of Presidency Sociocultural Area Director and participated in cultural development on a national level.

Cecilia Morel was the fourth of seven children born to Eduardo Morel Chaigneau and Paulina Montes Brunet. As reported by The New York Times, she attended the College Jeanne d'Arc de Santiago de Chile for her elementary education, following the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, Consuelo Brunet Bunster.

At the age of 18, in 1972, Cecilia began dating Sebastián Piñera, her neighbor on Avenida Américo Vespucio in Santiago's eastern district. The duo tied the knot in 1973.

The couple moved to the United States in December 1974, where Piñera studied economics at Harvard University. Morel, who started studying nursing at the Catholic University of Chile in 1972, temporarily paused her education when they moved abroad. Upon returning to Chile, she resumed her studies but had to take a break once again, after the birth of her second daughter, Cecilia, leaving her one semester short of graduation.

Cecilia Morel continued her education at the Instituto Profesional Carlos Casanueva, graduating as a family and youth counselor. She further earned a degree in family and human relations from Universidad Mayor.

In 1989, Cecilia Morel, along with professionals from Instituto Carlos Casanueva, including Enrique Cueto, founded 'La Casa de la Juventud,' an initiative that aimed to educate young people from Conchalí by conducting workshops on growth and personal development. Women Embark Foundation emerged from this project, as reported by Times Now.

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Sebastián Piñera's journey from investments to Chile's President

Pinera's rise to political prominence began with his entrepreneurial success in the early 1980s when he introduced credit cards to Chile during the dictatorship. Leveraging the funds generated, he diversified his investments across real estate, banking, energy, mining, and ownership of a television broadcaster, major shares in an airline, and a professional soccer club, as reported by Time publication.

Piñera’s political leadership occurred during a period marked by great trials, one of the worst being the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit in 2010. These calamities resulted in 525 deaths and the displacement of 1.5 million people.