Renán Fuentealba Vildósola

Francisco Renán Fuentealba Vildósola (born 29 November 1947) is a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

Early life and family He was born on 29 November 1947 in Illapel, the son of Doris del Carmen Vildósola Maldonado and Renán Fuentealba Moena, former president of the Christian Democratic Party (Chile) and former deputy and senator.

He is married to Verónica Barahona and is the father of four children.

Professional career He completed his primary education at Escuela Pública No. 81 and at Colegio Inglés de La Serena, and his secondary education at San Ignacio School, Santiago. He studied Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, obtaining the title of lawyer in 1970. Later, at the same university’s Institute of Political Science, he earned a Master’s degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Law.

In 1968 and 1969, he worked as a judicial clerk for Sociedad Constructora de Viviendas Habitacionales Viectil Ltda. From 1970 to 1971, he held the same position at the Caja de Obreros Municipales de la República. Between 1971 and 1973, he was a professional staff member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, assigned to the Commission on Constitution, Legislation and Justice. In 1974, he served as third secretary in the Foreign Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Between 1975 and 1988, he was an international civil servant of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), serving as programming officer in Costa Rica; deputy resident representative in Uruguay and Paraguay; and area officer for Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador at UNDP headquarters in New York. Between 1988 and 1993, he served as liaison officer between UNDP and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Political career A member of the Christian Democratic Party, he began his political activity as a university student, serving on the Executive Council of the Student Federation of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

In 1998, after completing his first parliamentary term, he was appointed director of the Empresa Zona Franca de Iquique (ZOFRI) and of the Empresa de Servicios Sanitarios de Coquimbo (ESSCO), positions he held until 2002.

He also served at the Ministry of National Defense: between 1999 and 2000, he was Undersecretary of the Navy, and from 2000 until September 2005, he was advisor on International Affairs.

On 13 December 2008, the National Board of the Christian Democratic Party elected him first vice president of the party for a term that concluded in April 2010. Between 2017 and 2018, he served as Ambassador of Chile to the Czech Republic.