José Joaquín Pérez Mascayano (; 6 May 1801 – 1 July 1889) was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat, and politician who served as

President of Chile The president of Chile (), officially the president of the Republic of Chile (), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is responsible for both Government of Chile, government administration and s ...

from 1861 to 1871. Born in

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 ...

to an aristocratic family, Pérez studied humanities at the Real Colegio Carolino and the Instituto Nacional before earning a law degree from the

Royal University of San Felipe The Royal University of San Felipe () was a university created by Philip V of Spain, King Philip V in 1738, in territory which was then part of the Kingdom of Spain. It was officially founded in Santiago in 1747 and began teaching activities in ...

. His early career focused on diplomacy, serving as secretary of the Chilean legation in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

in 1826, chargé d'affaires in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1829, and representative to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

in 1830. Pérez entered politics as a Deputy for Aconcagua Province in 1826 and later held seats for Puchacay,

Curicó Curicó () is a city located in Chile's central valley and serves as the capital of the Curicó Province, which is part of the Maule Region. Positioned between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca, the region stretches from the Pacific Ocean ...

, and

. He also 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 ...

and Minister of Foreign Relations under President

Manuel Bulnes Manuel Bulnes Prieto (; December 25, 1799 – October 18, 1866) was a Chilean military and political figure who was President of Chile from 1841 to 1851. Born in Concepción, he served as the president of Chile between 1841 and 1851. At the ...

. During his tenure as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

and State Councillor under

Manuel Montt Manuel Francisco Antonio Julián Montt Torres (; September 4, 1809 – September 21, 1880) was a Chilean statesman and scholar. He was twice elected President of Chile between 1851 and 1861. He was the first civilian to serve a full term as Presi ...

, Pérez remained neutral in political conflicts, positioning him as a unifying candidate for the presidency in 1861. As president, Pérez's administration promoted reconciliation and reform. He enacted an amnesty law for political disputes from 1851 to 1861, allowed greater freedom of the press, and passed the Law of Freedom of Worship in 1865. His government oversaw key infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Valparaíso–Santiago railway, and addressed major national events, such as the fire at the Church of the Company of Jesus in 1863, which led to the establishment of the Santiago Fire Department. Pérez also signed the 1866 border treaty with Bolivia and conducted a national census, recording a population of over 1.8 million. Re-elected in 1866, Pérez faced economic challenges due to debts incurred during the Chincha Islands War (1865–1866) against

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. His second term included constitutional reforms, such as the prohibition of immediate presidential re-election, enacted shortly before he left office in 1871. Following his presidency, Pérez continued to serve in political roles, including as a Senator. He died in Santiago in 1889 at the age of 88.

References

1801 births 1889 deaths Presidents of Chile Ministers of the interior of Chile Ministers of finance of Chile Candidates for President of Chile Chilean people of Basque descent People of the Chincha Islands War National Party (Chile, 1857) politicians Presidents of the Senate of Chile Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera alumni {{Chile-Senator-stub