Francisco Vidal Salinas

Francisco Javier Vidal Salinas (born 20 September 1953) is a Chilean politician and scholar.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vidal and the second or maternal family name is Salinas.

Francisco Vidal
Minister of Defense
In office 12 March 2009 – 11 March 2010
President	Michelle Bachelet
Preceded by	José Goñi
Succeeded by	Jaime Ravinet
Minister General Secretariat of Government
In office 6 December 2007 – 12 March 2009
President	Michelle Bachelet
Preceded by	Ricardo Lagos Weber
Succeeded by	Carolina Tohá
In office 3 March 2003 – 24 May 2005
President	Ricardo Lagos
Preceded by	Heraldo Muñoz
Succeeded by	Osvaldo Puccio
Minister of the Interior
In office 24 May 2005 – 11 March 2006
President	Ricardo Lagos
Preceded by	José Miguel Insulza
Succeeded by	Andrés Zaldívar
Undersecretary of Regional and Administrative Development
In office 11 March 2000 – 3 March 2003
President	Ricardo Lagos
Preceded by	Marcelo Schilling
Succeeded by	Adriana Delpiano
Personal details
Born	(1953-09-20) 20 September 1953 (age 71) Santiago, Chile
Political party	National Party (1971−1973) Party for Democracy (1987−present)
Spouse	María Inés Maturana Waidele
Children	Three
Parent(s)	Carlos Vidal Vargas María Salinas Opazo
Alma mater	Bernardo O'Higgins Military Academy[1] University of Chile (Lic)
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Teacher of History

In 1971, he began his political career at the rightist National Party.^[2][3]

He was Chile's Minister of National Defense^[4] from March 2009 to March 2010. Before this position he served as Minister Secretary General of Government of Chile during the administrations of Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet and Interior Minister during Lagos's mandate.

He is a professor of history at the University of Chile.