Claudio Vicuña Guerrero (

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

, December 31, 1833 -

, February 28, 1907) was a politician and diplomat from Chile, who served as

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 ...

between 1890 and 1891 during the government of

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 h ...

, in the midst of the outbreak of the

Chilean Civil War of 1891 The Chilean Civil War of 1891 (also known as Revolution of 1891) was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress of Chile, Congress and forces supporting the President of Chile, President, José Manuel Balmaceda from 16 Ja ...

. He was elected President of the Republic of Chile in the July 1891 election, although he was unable to take office due to the opposition's victory over Balmaceda in the civil war.

Biography

He was the son of Ignacio Vicuña Aguirre, who served as a deputy for Quillota between 1840 and 1843, and Carmen Guerrero Varas. He had seven siblings, among whom Ricardo Vicuña Guerrero stood out, serving as a deputy (1873–1876) and senator of the Constituent Congress of 1891. Despite coming from an aristocratic family, he was orphaned at an early age. He studied at the Instituto Nacional and later engaged in agriculture, where he amassed great wealth. He was married to Lucía Subercaseaux Vicuña, with whom he had seven children. Among his children, politicians Augusto and Claudio Vicuña Subercaseaux stood out. In the political sphere, he was a member of 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. For example, while the political systems ...

and the Liberal Democratic Party. He was elected deputy for the province of Santiago for the 1876–1879 term. In 1879 he became a senator of the Republic for the same province, a position he held for two terms: 1879-1885 and 1888–1894. After the outbreak of the

, he remained loyal to the government of

, assuming the position of

between October 15, 1890, and January 7, 1891. In this role, he was one of the conveners of the

Constituent Congress A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

established by Balmaceda to replace the suspended National Congress. He resumed the position of Minister of the Interior between February 23 and March 12, 1891. That same year, he also served as the intendant of

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

. In the midst of the civil war, Vicuña was nominated as the Liberal Party's presidential candidate at its convention on March 8, 1891. Indirect presidential elections took place on 25 July 1891, with Vicuña elected president. The definitive defeat of the Balmacedists after the Battle of Placilla left Vicuña's victory null and void. The

military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...

established its president, Captain

Jorge Montt Jorge Montt Álvarez (; April 26, 1845 – October 8, 1922) was a vice admiral in the Chilean Navy and president of Chile from 1891 to 1896.L.S. Rowe, "Passing of a Great Figure in Chilean History." ''Bulletin Pan American Union'' 55 (1922): 4 ...

, as the sole candidate for the October 1891 elections. The opposition's victory led Vicuña to seek diplomatic asylum, as he was considered a key member of the "Balmacedist dictatorship." Following his exile, he returned to Chile and continued his political career, participating in the reconstruction of the Balmacedist movement through the Liberal Democratic Party. He remained an influential figure in Chilean politics, advocating for the reintegration of Balmacedist supporters into the national political landscape. Vicuña passed away in Santiago on 28 February 1907, leaving behind a significant legacy as one of the key figures of the Balmacedist movement and Chilean liberalism at the turn of the 20th century.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vicuña Guerrero, Claudio 1833 births 1907 deaths Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera alumni Chilean diplomats Members of the Senate of Chile Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile Presidents of Chile Intendants of Valparaíso Province