SANTIAGO, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast on Tuesday named economist Jorge Quiroz as finance minister, part of a cabinet that includes two lawyers who defended dictator Augusto Pinochet, a move that has revived tensions over human rights ahead of his inauguration.
Kast also named Daniel Mas to head the mining ministry. Chile is the world's largest copper producer and second-largest lithium producer.
The incoming president previously informed business leaders of his plan to appoint Quiroz.
Quiroz, who has a doctorate from Duke University in the U.S., was the principal advisor for Kast's economic program. Quiroz has said Chile's economy is facing a "decline," which can be addressed by addressing issues including security, deregulation, cutting corporate taxes and implementing fiscal adjustments. The latter issue was a point of contention during the presidential campaign.
Mas, a businessman and current vice president of the Confederationof Production and Commerce, has had a long career in the private sector, working in construction, real estate and financial services. He will also serve as the minister of economic development.
Kast, who will take office on March 11, also appointed two attorneys who defended Pinochet, a dictator who brutally ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990.
Fernando Rabat, who defended Pinochet in an illicit funds case, will lead the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, which is still overseeing cases linked to the dictatorship. Human rights groups and family members of people killed during Pinochet's reign criticized Rabat's nomination when rumors of his appointment leaked.
Pinochet died in 2006. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled on the case in 2018, leading to multiple convictions and the seizure of about $1.6 million in assets from Pinochet's estate.
Defense Minister Fernando Barros was also a vocal defender of Pinochet after he was arrested in London in 1998 and worked to free the former leader.
Pinochet was originally arrested and extradited to Spain for torture, murder and crimes against humanity before returning to Chile in 2000 on medical grounds.
Kast also appointed Francisco Perez Mackenna as minister of foreign affairs. For nearly three decades, Perez Mackenna managed the business holdings of the billionaire Luksic family, one of Chile's richest families.
Trinidad Steinert, a chief prosecutor in the northern region of Tarapaca, will lead the Ministry of Public Security, a central role that will be part of fulfilling Kast's campaign promise to crack down on crime.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambrero and Alexander Villegas; Editing by Cassandra Garrison and Thomas Derpinghaus)
