Antonio Varas de la Barra
Antonio Varas de la Barra (born June 13, 1817 in Cauquenes , † June 5, 1886 in Santiago de Chile ) was a Chilean politician who served as a minister several times.
Varas grew up in humble circumstances as his father, Miguel Varas Vallejo, lost his property as a royalist after Chilean independence. With the support of his brother, José Miguel Varas, he could at the Instituto Nacional de Chile and the Universidad de Chile Law study. From August 1842 he was admitted to the bar at the Corte Suprema , the Supreme Court of Chile. During his student days, he met Manuel Montt Torres and Ventura Cousiño , with whom he became friends.
In addition to his work as a lawyer, he also remained associated with the Instituto Nacional as a teacher and ultimately served as the rector of the university. During his tenure, he made a contribution to improving the quality of teaching.
His political career began when he was elected MP for the Chillán constituency in 1842. He later represented the constituencies of Cauquenes (1846), Curicó (1852), Talca (1858 and 1873), Santiago (1864) and Elqui (1867) in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies. In 1847 he was elected Vice President and in 1862 President of the Camera de Diputados .
President Manuel Bulnes Prieto appointed Varas Minister for the Interior, External Relations, Culture and Education in 1845. His successor Manuel Montt, with whom Varas had been friends since his student days, took him over to his cabinet and also made him interim in charge of the war and naval ministries as well as finance. With the election of José Joaquín Pérez , Varas' ministerial activity ended. Much later, in 1879, President Aníbal Pinto Garmendia - an avowed political opponent of Montt - once again briefly appointed him Minister of the Interior.
In the meantime, Varas also served as a senator, where he represented the constituencies of Talca and Coquimbo between 1876 and 1888 . In 1881, 1882 and 1885 he served as President of the Senate.
Varas died in Santiago at the age of 69.
Antonio Varas was considered a versatile politician who was one of the most influential personalities in Chile in the 19th century. His work is closely linked to the presidency of Manuel Montt, as whose right hand one can describe Varas. As “super minister” Varas represented essential parts of Montt's reform policy. The development of the Chilean south is firmly connected with the two names Montt and Varas, after which two of the most important newly founded cities ( Puerto Montt on the coast and Puerto Varas inland) are named.
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- Biography (spanish)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Varas de la Barra, Antonio |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chilean minister and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 13, 1817 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cauquenes |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 5, 1886 |
| Place of death | Santiago de Chile |