Ruperto Murillo Gaete

Ruperto Murillo Gaete (22 November 1888 – 29 February 1964) was a Chilean public employee, writer and politician. A member of the Liberal and Liberal Democratic movements, he served as a deputy for Santiago during the XXXVII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile.

Biography Murillo was born in Santiago on 22 November 1888, the son of Ruperto Murillo Sotomayor and Natalia Gaete del Río. He married Berta Costa Goycolea in San Bernardo on 7 June 1914; the couple had five children.

He worked as an employee of the State Railways Company (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado), where he rose to become Head of Materials of the Second Zone until 1932. In 1944, he collaborated with engineer Santiago Pérez Peña in the reorganization of the national railway system.

In parallel with his professional career, he was active as a writer and novelist. His published works include Hacia la luz (1930), Sol de otoño (1931) and Cuerpos y almas (1937). He also collaborated with the newspapers El Mercurio and El Diario Ilustrado, where he supported the development of the Chilean merchant navy.

Political career Murillo was one of the early promoters of initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation among the youth wings of the Liberal parties. He militated in the Liberal Party and the Liberal Democratic movement, serving as secretary and vice president of the party.

He was elected deputy for the 7th Departamental Grouping of Santiago (First District), serving during the 1933–1937 legislative period. In the Chamber of Deputies, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Development (Fomento).

Beyond Parliament, he was founder and president of the Liberal Democratic Club of Santiago, secretary of the Balmaceda Legacy Association and of the Club de Septiembre, a member of the Chilean Scientific Society, and councillor of the Caja de Crédito Popular.

He died in Santiago on 29 February 1964.