Luis Matte Larraín

Luis Matte Larraín (28 June 1891 – 21 August 1936) was a Chilean civil engineer, businessman, and politician who was a member of the Liberal Party (PL).

He served as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Development during the first administration of President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo from 1930 to 1931.

Biography

Matte was born in Santiago on 28 June 1891, the son of businessman Domingo Matte Pérez and Javiera Larraín Bulnes. Through his mother, he was a great-grandson of President Manuel Bulnes and a great-great-grandson of President Francisco Antonio Pinto. His brothers included Domingo, Arturo, and Benjamín, who also held public office.

He married Elvira Valdés Freire, a great-granddaughter of former Chilean head of state Ramón Freire. They had three children, including Luis Matte Valdés, who later served as Minister of Housing and Urban Development under President Salvador Allende.

Business career

In 1920, Matte and his brother Arturo founded the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones (CMPC). He was also involved in the development of forestry plantations at the San Miguel estate in Chillán in 1933.

In 1940, four years after his death, CMPC established the Club de Deportes Luis Matte Larraín in his name. Its football team later competed in Chile's lower national divisions.

Political career

A member of the Liberal Party, Matte was appointed simultaneously as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Development by President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo on 28 August 1930. He held both portfolios until 28 April 1931. During his tenure, Edecio Torreblanca, the Minister of Southern Property, served as acting minister in both departments from 1 to 20 December 1930.

Matte died in Santiago on 21 August 1936, aged 45. Following his death, employees and workers of the CMPC plant in Puente Alto commissioned a bronze monument in his memory, which was installed at the entrance to the factory. Streets in Puente Alto and Santiago were also named after him.