Víctor Lamas
Víctor Manuel Lamas Benavente (1862 – ?) was a Chilean lawyer, politician and agriculturalist who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and as Minister of War and Navy under President Germán Riesco.
A member of the Radical Party, he represented Itata in the Chamber of Deputies for two consecutive legislative terms between 1897 and 1903.
Early life
Lamas was born in Concepción in 1862 to former senator Víctor Lamas Miranda and Mariana Benavente Carvajal-Vargas. His brother, Luis Lamas Benavente, also served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
He studied law at the University of Chile and obtained his law degree on 13 August 1883. He married Amalia Castro y Quiroga, with whom he had five children.
Outside politics, Lamas was involved in agricultural activities and served as a director of the Concepción newspaper El Sur.
Political career
A member of the Radical Party, Lamas was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Itata for the 1897–1900 legislative term. During this period, he served on the permanent committee for war and navy and as a substitute member of the permanent committee for education and welfare.
He was reelected deputy for Itata for the 1900–1903 term and served on the permanent committee for elections.
During the presidency of Germán Riesco, Lamas was appointed Minister of War and Navy on 6 May 1902. He remained in office until 24 October 1902.
In addition to his political and professional activities, Lamas was a member and director of the Club Concepción and a member of the local Junta de Beneficencia. He was also one of the founders of the First Fire Company of Concepción.