John Henry Biehl del Río (/ˈbiːl/; 26 August 1939 – 17 December 2023) was a Chilean lawyer, political scientist, and diplomat who served as the cabinet-level Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency for Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's administration.
[1] Although Biehl had never registered for any political party, he was considered more of a Christian Democrat due to his exile after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and Pinochet's rise to power.
[3] However, Biehl was forced out of the UN in 1987 after demands by the United States government, due to unhappiness in the Reagan administration over his part in Arias' opposition to funding of the Contras.
[2][4] During the administration of President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Biehl was appointed Chile's ambassador to the United States.
Among other things, he was named by the Secretary General, fellow Chilean José Miguel Insulza, special envoy to direct the mission to observe the regional and presidential elections in Nicaragua, conducted 5 March through 5 November 2006.