Santiago Oñate Laborde is a Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 lawyer and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party

Institutional Revolutionary Party

The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...

 (PRI).

Santiago Oñate has served in several positions inside the PRI and in the Mexican government. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1985 and to the Federal District Legislative Assembly upon expiration of his term as a federal legislator in 1998. In 1991 and 1992 he served as Ambassador

Ambassador

An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....

 to the Organization of American States

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...

 and, in 1993, as the head of the Environmental Attorney's Office (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Medio Ambiente or PROFEPA). In 1995 he was designated President of the PRI. He served for President

President of Mexico

The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...

 Carlos Salinas

Carlos Salinas

Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...

 as the head of the Presidency's Office (Oficina de la Presidencia). President Ernesto Zedillo

Ernesto Zedillo

Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León is a Mexican economist and politician. He served as President of Mexico from December 1, 1994 to November 30, 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted seventy year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party...

 appointed him as Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Labor (Mexico)

In Mexico, the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare is the head of the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare , a department of the federal government. The Secretary is a member of the federal executive cabinet.The current Secretary of Labor is Javier Lozano Alarcón ....

. Oñate has also served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and to the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

He pursued studies at the London School of Economics and Social Sciences and at the University of Wisconsin.