Arístides Zañartu
Manuel Arístides Zañartu Zañartu (1840 – 29 August 1892) was a Chilean lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and as Minister of Finance under President José Manuel Balmaceda.
He also briefly served as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization during the 1891 Chilean Civil War.
Early life
Zañartu was born in Concepción in 1840 to Miguel José Zañartu Santa María and Juana de Mata Zañartu Arrau. He married María Rosa Prieto del Río, with whom he had two children.
He studied at the Liceo de Concepción and the Instituto Nacional before studying law at the University of Chile. He qualified as a lawyer on 25 May 1866.
Zañartu practiced law briefly before becoming involved in journalism, mining and agriculture. In 1869, he edited the newspaper La Reforma and also operated coal mines in Dichato.
Political career
Zañartu was elected deputy for Lautaro for the 1885–1888 legislative term, serving on the Permanent Commission on Finance and Industry.
During the presidency of José Manuel Balmaceda, Zañartu was appointed Minister of Finance on 20 May 1891. His proposed program included the establishment of a national bank intended to provide low-interest credit to agricultural and industrial activities, but the project was not implemented during the civil war. He also served as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization from 21 July to 29 August 1891.
Zañartu was also elected deputy for Concepción and Talcahuano to the Constituent Congress of 1891, serving from 15 April to 18 August. Following the defeat of Balmaceda's government, he participated in reorganizing the Balmacedist movement and founded the newspaper La República as an organ of the new Liberal Democratic Party.
Zañartu died in Santiago on 29 August 1892.