Editing Orlando Letelier (section)

==Early Career and International Work==
In 1955, Letelier joined the Chilean Copper Department (Departamento del Cobre), analyzing the copper industry, a cornerstone of Chile’s economy. His work caught the attention of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and in 1959, he moved to Washington, D.C., as an economist, focusing on Latin American development projects. At the IDB, Letelier honed his expertise in economic policy, advocating for equitable growth and regional integration. During this period, he married Isabel Margarita Morel Gumucio in 1955, with whom he had four sons: Cristián, José, Francisco, and Juan Pablo. The family’s time in Washington exposed Letelier to U.S. political circles, including contacts with intellectuals and diplomats.

In 1964, Letelier returned to Chile, joining the administration of President Eduardo Frei Montalva as an economic advisor. He worked on modernizing Chile’s copper industry and supported Frei’s Christian Democratic Party’s reforms, though he grew critical of its moderate pace. By the late 1960s, Letelier aligned with the Socialist Party of Chile, drawn to its vision of structural change under Salvador Allende, a close friend and political mentor.