General Manuel García Banqueda (1803 – May 4, 1872) was a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an military and

political figure A politician is a person who participates in policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles or duties tha ...

. García Banqueda was 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 ...

, the son of Antonio García, Lieutenant in the "Dragones de la Reina" (''Queen's Dragoons'') and of Juana Banqueda. In 1817 (at the age of 12), he became a cadet in the recently formed Military Academy, created by

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; 20 August 1778 – 24 October 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque people, Basque-Spanish people, Spani ...

that year. He fought in the

Battle of Maipú The Battle of Maipú () was fought near Santiago, Chile on 5 April 1818, between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence. The Patriot rebels led by Argentine general José de San Martín effectively de ...

, during the

Chilean War of Independence The Chilean War of Independence (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Guerra de la Independencia de Chile'', 'War of Independence of Chile') was a military and political event that allowed the emancipation of Chile from the Spanish Empire, Spanish Mona ...

. He also participated in the Valdivia and Chiloé campaigns of 1825 and 1826. He married Dolores Carmona Fonseca, and they had several children. García Banqueda was promoted to captain in 1824, and participated in the Occupation of the Araucanía during the later stages of the

Arauco War The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía region of Chile. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities a ...

, against the Araucanian bands of Mariluán. He was also present at the capture of the Roquecura castle and the battle of Bellavista. In 1828, he campaigned against the Pincheira brothers. During the

War of the Confederation The War of the Confederation () was a military confrontation waged by the United Restoration Army, the alliance of the land and naval forces of Chile and the Restoration Army of Peru, formed in 1836 by Peruvian soldiers opposed to the conf ...

he fought at the battles of Portada de Guías (1838), Chiquián, Buin, Yungay (1839), and in the capture of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

. He was promoted to colonel on the field of Yungay as a reward for his bravery. In 1834 he was elected

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

for "Rancagua" until 1837. He was a firm supporter of minister

Diego Portales Diego José Pedro Víctor Portales y Palazuelos (; June 16, 1793 – June 6, 1837) was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur. As a minister of president José Joaquín Prieto's government, he played a pivotal role in shaping the state and po ...

. In 1840 he was again elected a deputy and again between 1852 and 1861, this times for "Santiago", "Concepcion" and "San Carlos". He was promoted to Brigade General in 1855, and Division General in 1862. He fought at Loncomilla, and captured Talca during the 1858 rebellion. President

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 ...

named him Minister of War and Navy, a position he held between September 29, 1857 and July 9, 1862, having been reconfirmed in his position by President

José Joaquín Pérez José Joaquín Pérez Mascayano (; 6 May 1801 – 1 July 1889) was a Chilean lawyer, diplomat, and politician who served as President of Chile from 1861 to 1871. Born in Santiago to an aristocratic family, Pérez studied humanities at the Rea ...

. He died in Santiago.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Banqueda, Manuel 1803 births 1872 deaths Chilean Army generals Ministers of defense of Chile Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile Politicians from Santiago, Chile