Alfonso Ramírez de la Fuente

Luis Alfonso Ramírez de la Fuente (7 March 1918 – 27 March 1995) was a Chilean lawyer, farmer and politician affiliated with the Liberal Party and later the National Party. He served as a Deputy of the Republic between 1961 and 1965, and held the mayoralty of Los Andes on three occasions.

Biography Born in Los Andes, Chile on 7 March 1918, he was the son of Arturo Ramírez and María Magdalena de la Fuente. He completed his early education at the Instituto Andrés Bello of Los Andes and later studied law at the University of Chile, where he graduated in 1941 with a thesis entitled Teoría general de los actos jurídicos (“General Theory of Legal Acts”).

He married Marta Sotomayor Jiménez, with whom he had three children. Professionally, he combined the legal practice with agricultural and industrial activities in the Aconcagua Valley. As a lawyer, he maintained a private practice in Los Andes while simultaneously managing the Comisión Agrícola Sucesión Arturo Ramírez, dedicated to the operation of the estates “Plaza Vieja,” “Batalla de Chacabuco,” and “San Francisco.”

Political career A lifelong liberal, Ramírez de la Fuente served as president and later general director of the Liberal Party in Los Andes, and in 1955 he was appointed to its National Directorate. He was elected Municipal Councillor and subsequently Mayor of Los Andes for the periods 1947–1953 and 1958–1961.

In the 1961 Chilean parliamentary election, he was elected Deputy for the department grouping of San Felipe, Petorca and Los Andes, serving from 1961 to 1965. During this term, he sat on the Permanent Commission on Constitution, Legislation, and Justice.

After the merger of right-wing forces, he joined the newly formed National Party in 1966. Later, under the military government, he was appointed Mayor of Los Andes from 1974 to 1980, promoting local infrastructure and industrial initiatives.

Business and civic activity Beyond politics, Ramírez de la Fuente was co-owner of the fruit-processing company El Globo and acquired the estates “El Molino” and “Plaza Vieja.” He presided over the Asociación de Fabricantes de Conservas de Chile (ASFACO) and served as a counselor for Ahorromet and the Instituto Chileno del Acero (ICHA).

He was also active in civic and professional organizations: a member of the SOFOFA, the Chilean Academy of History, the Los Andes Aero Club (of which he was director), and the local Lions Club.