Edmundo Pérez Zujovic

Edmundo Pérez Zujovic (May 11, 1912 – June 8, 1971) was a Chilean businessman and politician, militant of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). He served as Minister of State during the government of president Eduardo Frei Montalva, in the administration he led the Public Works and Interior portfolios.

In 1969 he was accused by the left-wing opposition of being the main person responsible for the Puerto Montt massacre – the death of eleven residents at the hands of Carabineros de Chile during an eviction procedure for an illegal land occupation. On June 8, 1971, during the government of socialist president Salvador Allende, he was assassinated by the far-left armed group Vanguardia Organizada del Pueblo (VOP) in retaliation for that massacre.

Early years Edmundo Pérez Zujovic was born in the Chilean city of Antofagasta on May 11, 1912, son of Servando Pérez and Ángela Zujovic. He completed his secondary studies at the San Luis school in that city. At the age of eighteen, when his father died suddenly, he had to take care of his family: three younger brothers, his mother and the oldest of his brothers who was studying at the university in Santiago. For this reason he did not pursue higher education. Despite this, he managed to forge himself as an entrepreneur, particularly in the construction area in the north of his country.

He participated in companies that developed the economic housing business, as well as others linked to the production of plaster and parquet. also from Antofagasta in 1938, with whom he had nine children: In the PDC he held the positions of communal president, national councilor and national vice president of the party.

Outrage was enormous, even within the ruling Christian Democratic party.

On one occasion, Jara sang the song at Saint George's College in Santiago. Part of the audience responded violently, throwing stones at the artists who had to be rescued by a group of students and teachers. Only after leaving the stage did Jara discover that Pérez Zujovic's younger son (a former student of the college) was present and had instigated the violence.

Assassination

On June 8, 1971, Pérez was driving to his construction firm office in his Mercedes-Benz, accompanied by his daughter, Maria Angélica, when his car was rammed by three men in another vehicle. Having brought Pérez’s car to a halt, one of the men smashed the window of the Mercedes and killed Pérez with a burst of submachine-gun fire. Maria Angelica later identified the gunman as Ronald Rivera Calderon, a member of a leftist terrorist group called Organized Vanguard of the People. On June 13, Ronald Rivera Calderon was killed by police in a gunfight at his hideout; his brother, Arturo, committed suicide, and seven others were arrested.

Pérez’s assassination is thought to have exacerbated the deepening divide in Chilean politics which would eventually lead to the 1973 coup d'état.

Family Pérez was married to Lidia Yoma. They had nine children: five daughters and four sons, including politician Edmundo Pérez Yoma.