His parents were Vicente Ortúzar y Formas (1797–1867), farmer in the Almahue and San Antonio de Petrel haciendas, and Irene Cuevas Avaria (1819–1904), owner of the San Antonio de Petrel hacienda since his husband's death in 1867 and her death in 1904.

[1][2] In 1888, Ortúzar participated as a member of a commission which collected funds to create the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, based in Santiago.

A Conservative, Ortúzar served four terms as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, representing San Fernando, between 1891 and 1903.

During his time at San Antonio de Petrel, he built a dock for the commune of Pichilemu.

He died in that city on 19 November 1932, unmarried, and was buried at the Cementerio Católico (Catholic Cemetery) in Santiago.