Photo: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile — CC BY 3.0 clSource
René Abeliuk
politician
- February 14, 1931
- November 19, 2014
- 83 years
About René Abeliuk
René Abeliuk, 83, Chilean lawyer, academic and politician.
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Full Biography
|René Abeliuk Manasevich (14 February 1931 – 19 November 2014) was a Chilean lawyer, academic and politician. One of the key opposition leaders against the Pinochet dictatorship, Abeliuk served as Minister of State and executive vice-president of CORFO during the first democratic administration of President Patricio Aylwin.
Early life
René Abeliuk Manasevich was born on 14 February 1931 in Santiago, Chile, to Jewish immigrants from Odesa who moved to Chile in the beginning of the 20th century.
Abeliuk attended the Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera in Santiago and studied law at Universidad de Chile. Upon becoming a lawyer, he worked with famed Chilean jurist Manuel Somarriva [es] and specialized in civil law.
Political career
Abeliuk entered politics in 1948, joining the Radical Party of Chile.
On 3 August 1971 Abeliuk, with several of his colleagues, left the Radical Party and founded the Party of the Radical Left (PIR). In 1972 he served as secretary of the Federation of Democratic Opposition, a coalition of the PIR, the Christian Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party. This coalition later became the Confederation of Democracy, in which Abeliuk served as vice president.
Between 1973 and 1980, during the regime of Augusto Pinochet, Abeliuk held high ranking positions within the Chilean Social Democracy Party — the successor to the PIR — and later left to join the Party for Democracy, founded to oppose the dictatorship. Between 1983 and 1986 he served on the executive committee of the opposition Democratic Alliance.
In the mid 1980s, Abeliuk was one of the main promoters and signatories of the National Agreement for a Transition to Full Democracy, a plan promoted by the Archbishop of Santiago, Juan Francisco Fresno.[citation needed]
When Patricio Aylwin was elected president in 1990, he designated Abeliuk as Executive Vice President of Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (Corfo), where he served until the end of Aylwin's first term in 1994.
Later life
After his time in government, Abeliuk returned to practicing law. Between 2003 and 2006, Abeliuk served as an appellate attorney for the Supreme Court of Chile. He wrote several legal articles and books, as well as columns for El Mercurio and Las Últimas Noticias.
Personal life
Abeliuk was married to María Olga Rojas Besoaín, an educator at the University of Chile and later a judge of the Eighth Criminal Court of Santiago. Together Abeliuk and Rojas had two children.
Abeliuk died of cancer on 19 November 2014 in Santiago.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Abeliuk
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from René Abeliuk's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was René Abeliuk Manasevich born?
- A.14 February 1931correct
- B.3 August 1971
- C.1 January 1930
- D.19 November 2014
René Abeliuk Manasevich was born on 14 February 1931 in Santiago, Chile.
Source: Early life section
2.What is the birthplace of René Abeliuk Manasevich?
- A.Concepción
- B.Santiagocorrect
- C.Valparaíso
- D.Odesa
René Abeliuk Manasevich was born in Santiago, Chile, to Jewish immigrants.
Source: Early life section
3.At which institution did René Abeliuk Manasevich pursue his law studies?
- A.Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera
- B.Pontificia Universidad Católica
- C.Universidad de Santiago
- D.Universidad de Chilecorrect
René Abeliuk Manasevich attended the Instituto Nacional for secondary school and studied law at Universidad de Chile.
Source: Early life section
4.With which prominent jurist did René Abeliuk Manasevich work early in his career?
- A.Manuel Somarrivacorrect
- B.Patricio Aylwin
- C.Juan Francisco Fresno
- D.Augusto Pinochet
Upon becoming a lawyer, René Abeliuk Manasevich worked with the famed Chilean jurist Manuel Somarriva.
Source: Early life section
5.In what year did René Abeliuk Manasevich first enter politics by joining the Radical Party of Chile?
- A.1931
- B.1948correct
- C.1971
- D.1990
René Abeliuk Manasevich entered politics in 1948 by joining the Radical Party of Chile.
Source: Political career section
6.Which political party did René Abeliuk Manasevich help found in 1971 after leaving the Radical Party?
- A.Party of the Radical Leftcorrect
- B.Chilean Social Democracy Party
- C.Party for Democracy
- D.National Democratic Party
On 3 August 1971, René Abeliuk Manasevich left the Radical Party and founded the Party of the Radical Left.
Source: Political career section
7.René Abeliuk Manasevich served as a vice president in which political coalition?
- A.Federation of Democratic Opposition
- B.Democratic Alliance
- C.Confederation of Democracycorrect
- D.National Agreement
The Federation of Democratic Opposition later became the Confederation of Democracy, in which René Abeliuk Manasevich served as vice president.
Source: Political career section
8.Between 1983 and 1986, René Abeliuk Manasevich served on the executive committee of which organization?
- A.Democratic Alliancecorrect
- B.Corfo
- C.National Agreement for a Transition
- D.Social Democracy Party
Between 1983 and 1986, René Abeliuk Manasevich served on the executive committee of the opposition Democratic Alliance.
Source: Political career section
9.Who promoted the National Agreement for a Transition to Full Democracy that René Abeliuk Manasevich helped sign?
- A.Juan Francisco Fresnocorrect
- B.Augusto Pinochet
- C.Patricio Aylwin
- D.Manuel Somarriva
The plan was promoted by the Archbishop of Santiago, Juan Francisco Fresno, and René Abeliuk Manasevich was a signatory.
Source: Political career section
10.What government position did René Abeliuk Manasevich hold under President Patricio Aylwin?
- A.Executive Vice President of CORFOcorrect
- B.Supreme Court Justice
- C.Minister of Justice
- D.Minister of Interior
President Patricio Aylwin designated René Abeliuk Manasevich as Executive Vice President of Corfo in 1990.
Source: Political career section
11.What was the professional role of María Olga Rojas Besoaín, the wife of René Abeliuk Manasevich?
- A.Judgecorrect
- B.Politician
- C.Academic
- D.Journalist
María Olga Rojas Besoaín was an educator and later served as a judge of the Eighth Criminal Court of Santiago.
Source: Personal life section
12.Between 2003 and 2006, what role did René Abeliuk Manasevich serve regarding the Supreme Court of Chile?
- A.Minister of State
- B.Legal advisor
- C.Chief Justice
- D.Appellate attorneycorrect
Between 2003 and 2006, René Abeliuk Manasevich served as an appellate attorney for the Supreme Court of Chile.
Source: Later life section
13.Which publications featured columns written by René Abeliuk Manasevich?
- A.Chile News and The Independent
- B.The Santiago Times and El Siglo
- C.La Tercera and La Nación
- D.El Mercurio and Las Últimas Noticiascorrect
René Abeliuk Manasevich wrote columns for the newspapers El Mercurio and Las Últimas Noticias.
Source: Later life section
14.How many children did René Abeliuk Manasevich and María Olga Rojas Besoaín have?
- A.Three
- B.Twocorrect
- C.Four
- D.One
Together René Abeliuk Manasevich and María Olga Rojas Besoaín had two children.
Source: Personal life section
15.What was the cause of death of René Abeliuk Manasevich?
- A.Stroke
- B.Pneumonia
- C.Cancercorrect
- D.Heart failure
René Abeliuk Manasevich died of cancer on 19 November 2014.
Source: Personal life section
16.Where did René Abeliuk Manasevich die?
- A.Viña del Mar
- B.Odesa
- C.Valparaíso
- D.Santiagocorrect
René Abeliuk Manasevich died in Santiago on 19 November 2014.
Source: Personal life section
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