José Francisco Fabres
José Francisco Fabres Ríos (died 25 August 1930) was a Chilean lawyer, academic and politician who served as a member of both chambers of the National Congress of Chile. A member of the Conservative Party, he represented La Victoria and Melipilla in the Chamber of Deputies and later Llanquihue Province in the Senate of Chile.
Fabres also held cabinet positions under presidents Federico Errázuriz Echaurren and Pedro Montt, serving respectively as Minister of Finance and Minister of War and Navy.
Early life
Fabres was the son of José Clemente Fabres Fernández de Leiva and Dolores Ríos Egaña. He attended St. Ignatius College, Santiago between 1866 and 1868 and later studied at the Instituto Nacional. He subsequently pursued legal studies at the University of Chile and qualified as a lawyer on 25 April 1877.
After entering legal practice, Fabres combined his professional career with work in banking and academia. He served as a director and later president of Banco Santiago and worked as an adviser to public prosecutors.
Fabres developed a long academic career in private law. He joined the University of Chile as an extraordinary professor of Roman law in 1883 and was appointed assistant professor in the same field the following year. In 1887, he obtained a regular teaching position in Roman law, and in 1891 he became a professor of civil law. He later taught civil law at the Faculty of Law of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile between 1919 and 1921.
He was also active in municipal government in Cartagena, where he served as a municipal councillor and mayor. Fabres married Celinda Larraín Zañartu, with whom he had children.
Political career
A member of the Conservative Party, Fabres entered national politics during the presidency of Federico Errázuriz Echaurren. On 18 September 1896, he was appointed Minister of Finance, remaining in office until 20 November of that year.
He was subsequently elected to the Chamber of Deputies for La Victoria and Melipilla for the 1897–1900 legislative term.
Fabres returned to government during the presidency of Pedro Montt, serving as Minister of War and Navy from 7 November 1906 to 12 June 1907.
For the 1906–1912 senatorial term, Fabres was initially recognized as a presumptive senator for Llanquihue Province. He later assumed the seat held by Ramón Rozas following Rozas's death in August 1907 and continued as a full member of the Senate. During his tenure, Fabres served as a substitute member of the committees on government and finance, and also acted in place of the chairman of the Finance Committee.
Fabres died on 25 August 1930.