// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Samuel Claro? A clar-o-net player?
Samuel Claro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 29 August 1922 – 16 October 1922 | |
| President | Arturo Alessandri |
| Preceded by | Ernesto Barros Jarpa |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Aldunate Solar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1873 |
| Died | 12 December 1940 (aged 67) |
| Party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Cecilia Velasco |
| Education | University of Chile (LL.B) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Samuel Claro Lastarria (4 September 1873 – 12 December 1940) was a Chilean lawyer and politician.
A member of the Liberal Party, he served in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile from 1912 to 1924 and held several cabinet positions under presidents Germán Riesco, Ramón Barros Luco and Arturo Alessandri.[1][2]
Early life and career
[edit]Claro was born in Santiago on 4 September 1873, the son of Lorenzo Claro y Cruz and Lucinda Lastarria Villarroel. He attended the Instituto Nacional, the Liceo and Seminary of Valparaíso, and the English Board School in the same city. He later studied law at the University of Chile and qualified as a lawyer on 26 July 1895. He married Celia Velasco Lavín, with whom he had six children.[2]
A member of the Liberal Party, Claro joined its national leadership in 1903. He also held several positions in public administration, serving as an accountant at the Oficina de Emisión Fiscal in 1891 and as an assistant secretary to President Jorge Montt in 1892.[2]
Political career
[edit]Under President Germán Riesco, Claro served as Minister of Justice and Public Instruction from 7 May to 18 September 1906 and briefly as acting Minister of the Interior in August of that year. Under Ramón Barros Luco, he was Minister of Finance from 20 May to 8 August 1912.[2]
Claro was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Arauco, Lebu and Cañete for the 1912–1915 term and was reelected for the same constituency in 1915 and 1918. During these terms, he served on the Permanent Commissions on Finance and Budget. In 1921, he was elected for Victoria, Melipilla and San Antonio, serving until 1924.[2]
During the presidency of Arturo Alessandri, Claro served as Minister of War and Navy from 3 November 1921 to 22 March 1922, Minister of Finance from 1 April to 29 August 1922, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization from 29 August to 16 October 1922. He returned briefly to the Finance Ministry in February 1924.[2]
As both a cabinet minister and a member of Congress, Claro participated in legislation concerning public finances, education, workplace accidents and criminal procedure. He also represented Chile at the Pan-American Financial Conference of 1919–1920.[2]
Later career
[edit]Claro became closely involved in the Tacna–Arica dispute. In 1925, he served as legal counsel for Chile before the Plebiscitary Commission established to address the dispute and subsequently worked on matters related to the United States arbitration. In September 1926, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a legal adviser to the Chilean government.[2]
He returned to Chile in early 1927 and resumed his legal practice. He was a founding member of the Chilean Bar Association and a partner in the law firm Claro y Cía. He also served as legal counsel and director of several companies in the electricity, mining, insurance and agricultural sectors, and was a member of the Nitrate Council and the Sociedad de Fomento Fabril. He later moved to Europe.[2]
Claro also wrote on legal and professional subjects for the press. He was a member of the Club de la Unión and the Club de Viña del Mar.[2]
He died in New York City, United States, on 12 December 1940, aged 67.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ Valencia Avaria, Luis (1999). Anales de la República: registros de los ciudadanos que han integrado los Poderes Ejecutivo y Legislativo. Vol. 4. Andrés Bello Publisher.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Samuel Claro Lastarria". Library of the National Congress of Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2026.
External Links
[edit]- 1873 births
- 1940 deaths
- Liberal Party (Chile, 1849) politicians
- University of Chile alumni
- Deputies of the XXX Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
- Deputies of the XXXI Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
- Deputies of the XXXII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
- Deputies of the XXXIII Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile
- Germán Riesco cabinet ministers
- Ramón Barros Luco cabinet ministers
- Arturo Alessandri cabinet ministers