Alejandro Vial

Alejandro Vial Guzmán
Member of the Senate
In office 1894–1906
Constituency	Colchagua Province
In office 1861–1864
Intendant of Colchagua Province
In office 24 October 1861 – 28 February 1863
President	José Joaquín Pérez
Minister of Finance
In office 2 December 1856 – 29 September 1857
President	Manuel Montt
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 1861–1864
Constituency	Talca
In office 1858–1861
Constituency	Santiago
In office 1852–1858
Constituency	Caupolicán
Personal details
Born	1823 Santiago, Chile
Died	(1914-05-28)28 May 1914 Santiago, Chile
Party	Conservative Party
Spouse	Carmen Carvallo Ureta
Children	Yes
Parent(s)	Juan de Dios Vial del Río María Jesús Guzmán Ortúzar
Education	University of Chile
Profession	Surveyor

Alejandro Vial Guzmán (1823 – 28 May 1914) was a Chilean surveyor, banker and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, as a senator for Colchagua Province, and as Minister of Finance.

A member of the Conservative Party, Vial also served as intendant of Colchagua Province and held senior positions in Chilean banking.

Early life

Vial was born in Santiago in 1823 to Juan de Dios Vial del Río and María Jesús Guzmán Ortúzar. He studied humanities at the Instituto Nacional before studying mathematics at the University of Chile, where he qualified as a surveyor.

During his early career, Vial worked as an assayer at the Chilean Mint. His university work dealt with the marble deposits of Chile.

He married Carmen Carvallo Ureta, daughter of Diego Carvallo Matta and María Ureta Ossa, with whom he had several children.

Political career

A member of the Conservative Party, Vial entered the Chamber of Deputies as a representative for Caupolicán. He initially served as a substitute deputy and later as the constituency's full representative, remaining in the Chamber until 1858.

He was subsequently elected deputy for Santiago for the 1858–1861 parliamentary period. In 1861, Vial was elected deputy for Talca, serving until 1864.

During the presidency of Manuel Montt, Vial was appointed Minister of Finance. He served from 2 December 1856 until 29 September 1857.

On 24 October 1861, Vial was appointed intendant of Colchagua Province under President José Joaquín Pérez. He remained in office until 28 February 1863.

Outside elected office, Vial developed a long career in banking. He served as manager of the Banco de Chile in 1862 and later as manager of the Banco Nacional de Chile between 1865 and 1868.

Vial opposed President José Manuel Balmaceda, whose government ordered him into exile. Following the 1891 Chilean Civil War, he again served as minister of finance, this time under President Jorge Montt.

In 1894, Vial was elected to the Senate for Colchagua Province. He represented the province for two consecutive terms, from 1894 to 1900 and from 1900 to 1906.

Within the Conservative Party, Vial served as president of its third national convention. In 1906, he was among the Conservative politicians who supported the presidential candidacy of Pedro Montt, who was subsequently elected president.

Vial died in Santiago on 28 May 1914, aged 91. His death was registered with the civil registry that year.

Bibliography

• Castillo Infante, Fernando; Cortés, Lía; Fuentes, Jordi (1996). Diccionario Histórico y Biográfico de Chile (in Spanish). Santiago: Editorial Zig-Zag. p. 532.

External links

• Enciclopedia Colchagüina profile
• BCN Profile