René Saffirio

René Fernando Saffirio Espinoza (born 9 October 1955) is a Chilean politician who served as deputy.

He is the current governor of the Araucanía Region.

Early life and education Saffirio was born on October 9, 1955, in Temuco, Chile. He is the son of Constantino Saffirio Vásquez and Lya Espinoza Sánchez, and a cousin of former Deputy Eduardo Saffirio Suárez.

He is married to Antonieta Muñoz Navarro and is the father of two children, Rodrigo and Constanza. His daughter Constanza served as a municipal councillor of Temuco between 2016 and 2020.

He completed his primary and secondary education at the Mercedarian Institute of Victoria and later at the Industrial School of Temuco, graduating in 1972. He subsequently entered the University of Chile School of Law, where he earned a licentiate degree in Legal and Social Sciences in 1982. His undergraduate thesis was titled *“Protection of Maternity.”* He qualified as a lawyer on January 31, 1983.

In his professional career, Saffirio worked as a lawyer for the Vicariate of Solidarity. Between 2004 and 2009, he served as Regional Vice-Rector of Universidad Mayor.

Political career Saffirio began his political activity at an early age as a leader of secondary school students in Temuco. In May 1969, he joined the Christian Democratic Party of Chile (DC), later being elected president of its youth wing. He subsequently served as regional and provincial president of the party and as a delegate to its National Council. He also presided over the Democratic Alliance during the period of military government.

Between 1990 and 1992, he served as Regional Ministerial Secretary of Justice of the Araucanía Region under the government of President Patricio Aylwin Azócar.

In 1992, he was elected Mayor of the Municipality of Temuco and was re-elected for three consecutive terms, serving from 1992 to 2004.

From 2006 to 2009, he acted as a substitute justice (*abogado integrante*) of the Court of Appeals of Temuco.

He was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in the 2009 parliamentary elections. In 2021, he did not seek re-election due to the limitations established by Law No. 21,238 of 2020, which set a maximum of two consecutive terms for deputies.

On May 25, 2016, Saffirio formally resigned from the Christian Democratic Party before the Electoral Service of Chile.

In the regional elections held on October 26 and 27, 2024, he ran as an independent candidate for Governor of the Araucanía Region. Having obtained 36.77% of the vote in the first round, he advanced to the runoff election held on November 24, 2024, in which he was elected governor with 342,092 votes, representing 51.67% of the validly cast ballots.