José Rafael del Carmen Balmaceda Fernández (August 23, 1850 – August 7, 1911) was a
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
,
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
and brother of
President
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*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
José Manuel Balmaceda
José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández (; July 19, 1840 – September 19, 1891) served as the 10th President of Chile from September 18, 1886, to August 29, 1891. Balmaceda was part of the Castilian-Basque aristocracy in Chile. While he wa ...
. He was of
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
descent.
Early life
He was born in
Renca
Renca is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It was founded on May 6, 1894.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Renca spans an area of and has 133,500 inha ...
, the son of Manuel José Balmaceda Ballesteros and of Encarnación Fernández Salas. He completed his studies at the
Instituto Nacional and then attended the
University of Louvain
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, where he graduated with a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in Political Science. Early in his life he dedicated most of his time to his
Hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
San José in Puente Alto.
Political career
José Rafael Balmaceda started his political career by joining the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
and was promptly elected deputy for "Angol" (1888–1891) and was reelected for the "Balmaceda" congress as a deputy for "Concepción and Talcahuano", but this congress was dissolved after only a few months. After the
1891 Chilean Civil War
The Chilean Civil War of 1891 (also known as Revolution of 1891) was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the President, José Manuel Balmaceda from 16 January 1891 to 18 September 1891. The war ...
that deposed his brother, President
José Manuel Balmaceda
José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández (; July 19, 1840 – September 19, 1891) served as the 10th President of Chile from September 18, 1886, to August 29, 1891. Balmaceda was part of the Castilian-Basque aristocracy in Chile. While he wa ...
, his house was looted, and he was exiled together with his family. In
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
he published ''"The revolution and condemnation of the Vicuña ministry"'', under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''"Nemo"'', in which he defended his brother's policies and attacked the revolutionary party. He also published ''"History Pages"'' and ''"Death of Balmaceda"''.
After being allowed to return to Chile, he concentrated his efforts on the reconstruction of the political base that had been defeated in the war and became the force behind the
Liberal Democratic Party. On the congressional elections of 1894 he was elected deputy for "La Serena, Elqui and Coquimbo" (1894–1897) and was reelected for the same region (1897–1900). On November 19, 1901, President
Germán Riesco
Germán Riesco Errázuriz (; May 28, 1854 – December 8, 1916) was a Chilean political figure, and he served as President of Chile between 1901 and 1906.
Early life
He was born in Rancagua, the son of Mauricio Riesco, a Spanish merchant and o ...
appointed him
Minister of Justice and Public Instruction, position he held until November 20, 1902, and later
Minister of the Interior
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
from March 18, 1905 to August 1, 1905.
In 1906, his son
Ernesto Ernesto, form of the name Ernest in several Romance languages, may refer to:
* ''Ernesto'' (novel) (1953), an unfinished autobiographical novel by Umberto Saba, published posthumously in 1975
** ''Ernesto'' (film), a 1979 Italian drama loosely ba ...
was murdered in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, prompting a celebrated case that came to define diplomatic privileges and immunities for the retinue and families of diplomatic staff.
President
Pedro Montt
Pedro Elías Pablo Montt Montt (; 29 June 1849, Santiago, Chile – 16 August 1910, Bremen, Germany) was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile from 1906 to his death from a probable stroke in 1910. His government furth ...
appointed him
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cult and Colonization on August 29, 1908, a position he held until June 15, 1909. In 1909, he was elected a Senator for "Coquimbo" (1909–1915), but he died in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
before the end of his term in 1911 at the age of 61.
Personal life
Balmaceda married Ana Bello Codesido, and together they had seven children.
See also
*
1891 Chilean Civil War
The Chilean Civil War of 1891 (also known as Revolution of 1891) was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the President, José Manuel Balmaceda from 16 January 1891 to 18 September 1891. The war ...
*
Balmaceda family The Balmaceda family of Chile became politically influential during the 19th century, and played a very significant role in Chilean politics. The Balmaceda family is of Basque people, Basque descent. They are members of the Castilian-Basque aristocr ...
References
Official biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balmaceda, Jose Rafael
1850 births
1911 deaths
People from Santiago Province, Chile
Chilean people of Basque descent
Liberal Party (Chile, 1849) politicians
Liberal Democratic Party (Chile, 1893) politicians
Chilean Ministers of Justice
Chilean Ministers of the Interior
Foreign ministers of Chile
Deputies of the XXII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Deputies of the Constituent Congress of Chile (1891)
Deputies of the XXIV Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Deputies of the XXV Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the XXIX Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
Senators of the XXX Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
People of the Chilean Civil War of 1891 (Balmacedistas)
Chilean exiles