Homero Gutiérrez

Homero Gutiérrez Román (13 October 1929–2 September 2009) was a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Biography He was born in Talca on 13 October 1929, the son of Germán Gutiérrez and Seferina Román. He married Ester Gyllen Parada, and they had five children.

He completed his primary education at School No. 2 in Talca and his secondary studies at the Liceo de Hombres of the same city. He later entered the Instituto Pedagógico of the University of Chile, where he obtained the title of State Professor in History and Geography. Subsequently, he earned a Licentiate and a Master’s degree in Education from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Between 1954 and 1959, he worked as a teacher at the Liceo de Hombres de Traiguén. From 1960 to 1976, he was a teacher at the Liceo de Hombres de Talca and other educational institutions in the same city. In 1965, he was the founding principal of the Liceo Nocturno de Talca and of Liceo No. 2. Between 1975 and 1990, he served as a professor of Education at the Catholic University of the Maule.

Political career He joined the Falange Nacional in 1954 and later participated in the founding of the Christian Democratic Party (DC) in Traiguén. In 1965, he was elected provincial president of the DC, serving for two years. That same year, he was head of the senatorial campaign of Patricio Aylwin in 1965 and again in 1972. Between 1967 and 1969, he served as a delegate to the party’s National Council.

He was a provincial leader in charge of the campaign for the “No” option in the 1988 plebiscite and of the 1989 presidential campaign, in which Patricio Aylwin was elected President of the Republic.

In March 1990, he was appointed Governor of the Province of Talca, serving until 1992. In 1991, he simultaneously acted as interim Governor of the Province of Linares.

As Governor of Talca, he promoted the “Plan Talca”, aimed at overcoming the province’s socio-economic stagnation. During his administration, the regional gymnasium was completed and the Maule Fire Department building was constructed.

In the parliamentary election of December 1993, he ran as a candidate for deputy and was elected for District No. 37 (commune of Talca), Seventh Region. He obtained 17,067 votes, corresponding to 19.89% of the total votes cast.

In December 1997, he was re-elected in the same district, obtaining 10,616 votes, equivalent to 14.67% of the validly cast ballots.

In both elections, the "double listing" (doblaje) occurred in the district, as his running mate, the socialist Sergio Aguiló, obtained 44.36% and he 52.03% of the total valid votes.

In the 2001 parliamentary elections, he sought a third re-election but was defeated in an internal DC primary by Roberto Montecinos Espinoza. In 2004, he ran as a candidate for councilor in the commune of Talca but was not elected.

He died on 2 September 2009.