Abraham Pérez
Abraham Pérez Lizana (15 May 1900 – ?) was a Chilean university professor and politician who served as a minister of state during the second government of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
Early life
Pérez was born in Teno, a commune in Curicó Province, on 15 May 1900, the son of José María Pérez and Clotilde Lizana. He completed his primary and secondary education at the Liceo de Curicó. He subsequently studied at the Pedagogical Institute of the University of Chile, graduating as a teacher of mathematics and physics in 1924 with a thesis entitled Estudio sobre corrientes alternas en derivaciones. He also undertook specialized studies in France and Germany.
He married Berta Pascual, with whom he had two daughters, Vilma Angélica and Marcela Eliana.
Professional career
Pérez began his teaching career at the Liceo de Traiguén, the Instituto Nacional, the Pedagogical Institute, and the School of Engineering of the University of Chile. From 1938, he taught mathematics at the university's School of Economics and Commerce, planimetry at the Pedagogical Institute, and trigonometry at the Military Technical Academy.
In 1941, he was commissioned by the Chilean government to travel to Venezuela, where he taught a course in advanced mathematics at that country's Instituto Pedagógico Nacional. He also visited several other countries, including Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Cuba.
He served as director of the School of Economics and Commerce, as an actuary at the Superintendency of Banks, and as secretary-general of the University of Chile from 1951 to 1953.
Pérez was also a member of the Sociedad Constructora de Establecimientos Educacionales, which he chaired. He was additionally a member of the Statistical Institute of the United States, the Econometric Society, the Pan-American University, and the Sociedad Nacional de Profesores.
Political career
Politically unaffiliated, Pérez was appointed Minister of Finance on 30 May 1955 during the second administration of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, serving until 4 October of that year. He subsequently served briefly as Secretary General of Government.
Decades later, during the military regime of General Augusto Pinochet, he served as director-general of the National Statistics Institute (INE) in 1974.