Demetrio Lastarria
Marcial Demetrio Lastarria Villarreal (21 December 1844 – 17 May 1891) was a Chilean diplomat and politician who served several terms as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization and Minister of the Interior under President José Manuel Balmaceda.
He also served as Chilean envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Brazil and Uruguay.
Early life
Lastarria was born in Santiago on 21 December 1844 to politician and diplomat José Victorino Lastarria and Jesús Julia Villarreal.
He accompanied diplomatic missions headed by his father to Peru in 1863 and to Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil in 1864 and 1865. On 17 November 1880, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Brazil and Uruguay, becoming Chile's fifth diplomatic representative in Brazil.
Political career
Lastarria was elected deputy for Rancagua for the 1876–1879 term and was reelected for the same constituency for 1879–1882. During his second term, he served as vice president of the Chamber of Deputies from September 1879 to December 1880.
He represented Rere from 1882 to 1885 and again served as vice president of the Chamber. Lastarria subsequently returned as deputy for Rancagua for the 1885–1888 and 1888–1891 terms. He served as president of the Chamber in 1885 and again briefly in 1889.
During the presidency of José Manuel Balmaceda, Lastarria served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Worship and Colonization from April 1888 to April 1889. He was subsequently appointed Minister of the Interior, serving from June to October 1889.
Lastarria died in San José de Maipo on 17 May 1891, aged 46.