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Emilio Berrizbeitia Aristeguieta

Lawyer · PhD in History

About

Emilio Luis Berrizbeitia Aristeguieta is a lawyer and historian. He has practiced law for more than forty years in litigation, corporate law and human rights, and holds a PhD in Venezuelan History from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, awarded summa cum laude in 2026.

He was a founding partner of the international law firm Ruden McClosky in Caracas and has advised the boards of banks, insurers and reinsurers, and of companies in construction, mining, shipping and tourism. He coordinated the criminal defense of the banker Eligio Cedeño and led, from abroad, the defense of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni before international bodies. Those cases turned his practice toward human rights and led him to settle in Santo Domingo.

His work in history began formally in 2006 at the Institute for Historical Research of the UCAB. He is an associate researcher at the UCAB Institute for Historical Research and at INESDyC, the diplomatic school of the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He studies nineteenth-century political thought, with emphasis on Venezuela, the formation of the Spanish American nations and their political and diplomatic relations, and relations between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic since 1960. He has published on Spanish American federalism and on the history of Cumaná and eastern Venezuela, and has taught law seminars at the UCAB.

In Cumaná he served on the Regional Electoral Board, presided over the newspaper Periódico de Sucre and the Sucre State Chamber of Tourism, and helped found social and cultural foundations. Since the 1990s he has taken an active part in civic and electoral life, in Venezuela and in the Venezuelan community abroad. He speaks fluent English and French.

Academic affiliations

  1. Current

    Associate researcher

    Institute for Diplomatic and Consular Training (INESDyC) · Santo Domingo

    The diplomatic school of the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  2. Current

    Associate researcher

    Institute for Historical Research, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (IIH-UCAB) · Caracas

Education

  1. 2026

    PhD in Venezuelan History

    Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

    Summa cum laude; thesis recommended for publication.

  2. 2024

    MA in Venezuelan History

    Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

    Coursework completed in 2009; thesis defended in 2024, from exile.

  3. 2006 – 2009

    Researcher

    Institute for Historical Research, UCAB

  4. 1989 – 1991

    Postgraduate specialization in Civil Procedure

    Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

  5. 1974 – 1979

    Law degree (Abogado)

    Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

Legal practice

  1. 2022 – present

    Legal counsel and legal representative

    Knauf International · Dominican Republic

    Formerly country manager. Mining concession, environmental permits and government relations for the German building-materials group.

  2. 2010 – 2014

    Associate legal adviser

    Baker Tilly · Dominican Republic

  3. 2007 – 2012

    Human rights lawyer

    JR Berrizbeitia, Berrizbeitia & Trujillo · Venezuela

    Representation in human rights cases, working with international human rights bodies.

  4. 2002 – 2007

    Founding partner

    Ruden McClosky · Caracas

    International law firm. Civil, procedural and commercial law.

  5. 1996 – present

    Co-founder, general and legal counsel

    Fundación ServYr – Turimiquire · Venezuela

    Non-profit. Reproductive health and rural development programs that have served more than 100,000 women.

  6. 1983 – 2001

    Lawyer in commercial, civil and procedural law

    Berrizbeitia & Asociados · Venezuela

  7. 1980 – 1983

    Liability insurance specialist

    Munich Re Group · Germany, Spain and Mexico

    Regional representation for Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Bolivia.

  8. 1978 – 1980

    [Role to be confirmed]

    García, Herrera, Melo & Berrizbeitia · Venezuela

Boards

  1. 2011 – present

    Board secretary and general counsel

    Inversiones Ban Sai · Dominican Republic

    Mining investment; managed more than fifty local cases and relations with shareholders and investors.

  2. 2005 – 2008

    Member of the board of directors

    Bolívar Banco · Venezuela

  3. 2003 – 2009

    Legal counsel to the board

    Münchener de Venezuela (Munich Re) and Miller International Latin America · Venezuela

    Reinsurance and loss adjustment in Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama and Venezuela.

  4. [Dates to be confirmed]

    [Role to be confirmed]

    Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce (Venamcham) · Venezuela

  5. [Dates to be confirmed]

    [Role to be confirmed]

    Venezuelan Association of Insurance Law · Venezuela

Civic service

  1. [Dates to be confirmed]

    Founder and secretary

    ANPISO · Dominican Republic

    Association of organic input producers; drafted its bylaws.

  2. 1993 – 1996

    President and editor-in-chief

    Periódico de Sucre · Cumaná

  3. [Dates to be confirmed]

    Member

    Regional Electoral Board, Sucre State · Cumaná

  4. [Dates to be confirmed]

    President

    Sucre State Chamber of Tourism · Cumaná

Business

  1. 2011 – present

    Founder, general manager and director of projects

    Porlamar · Dominican Republic

    Extraction and processing of gypsum for construction and certified-organic agricultural gypsum.

  2. 2018 – present

    Agroecology adviser to governments, trade associations and cooperatives

    Independent practice · Dominican Republic

    Organic Agriculture Roundtable with the Ministry of Agriculture and relaunch of the National Council for Organic Agriculture (CONAO).

Languages

Contact

[email protected] · Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic