Enrique Zañartu Prieto

Enrique Zañartu
Member of the Senate
In office
15 May 1926 – 6 June 1932
Constituency7th Provincial Grouping
In office
15 May 1918 – 11 September 1924
ConstituencyConcepción
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
15 May 1909 – 15 May 1918
ConstituencyRere and Puchacay
In office
15 May 1906 – 15 May 1909
ConstituencyRancagua, Cachapoal and Maipo
Personal details
Born(1881-12-25)25 December 1881
Santiago, Chile
Died8 February 1943(1943-02-08) (aged 61)
Santiago, Chile
PartyLiberal Democratic Party
SpouseLucila Zenteno Valenzuela
EducationUniversity of Chile
OccupationAgriculturist, politician, writer

Enrique Zañartu Prieto (25 December 1881 – 8 February 1943) was a Chilean agriculturist, newspaper proprietor, writer and politician. He served as a member of parliament in Chile's Chamber of Deputies[1] and later as a senator.[2] Zañartu was also a Cabinet Minister in several national governments.[3]

Early life and education

Zañartu was born in Santiago on 25 December 1881. He was the son of Manuel Arístides Zañartu[4] and María Rosa Prieto. His father was also a politician and government minister.[4] His uncle was the former vice-president, Aníbal Zañartu Zañartu.[3]

Zañartu attended secondary school at the Instituto Nacional (National Institute) and studied law at the University of Chile.

Career

Zañartu owned an estate in the former department of Rere. He also purchased a newspaper La Mañana, closely aligned with the Liberal Democratic Party.[3]

Zañartu was elected deputy for Rancagua, Cachapoal and Maipo in 1906.[3] He was re-elected in 1909, 1912, and 1915 for the electorate of Rere and Puchacay.

Zañartu served as Minister of Industry and Public Works[5] and later Minister of Industry and Public Works and Railways from 1911 to 1912 and again from 1913 to 1914.[3] He also served as acting Minister of War[6] and Navy in October 1913.[3] He was also Minister of the Interior from 1916 to 1917.[3]

In 1918, Zañartu became a senator for Concepción.[3] In 1921, he became president of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Zañartu was re-elected as senator for Concepción in 1924. He was appointed Minister of Finance twice in 1924,[3] but the National Congress was dissolved in September 1924 by a military junta.[3]

In 1926, he was re-elected senator for Ñuble, Concepción and Bío-Bío but the National Congress was again dissolved in June 1932, this time following a socialist coup.[3]

Zañartu served as Minister of Finance[7] in 1932. During his term, he began printing money[8] and suspended payment of Chile's national debt.[3] However, vocal opposition to the latter policy led to him being replaced as finance minister by Ernesto Barros Jarpa.[9]

Zañartu ran for president in 1932[10][7] but was bested by Arturo Alessandri.[3][4]

Works

Zañartu published several publications, including:

  • Manual de Economía (1906)
  • Manuel Arístides Zañartu, Luis Ríos y causas del pauperismo en Chile
  • Crónicas de vulgarización del sistema monetario; and
  • Hambre, miseria e ignorancia.[3]

Other activities

Zañartu married Lucila Zenteno Valenzuela.[3] The couple had ten children.[3]

Zañartu died in Santiago on 8 February 1943.[3] He was 61.

References

  1. ↑ Valencia Avaria, Luis (1951). Anales de la República, Tomo II. pp. 397, 409, 420, 433.
  2. ↑ Valencia Avaria, Luis (1951). Anales de la República, Tomo II. pp. 439, 465, 476.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Enrique Zañartu Prieto". Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile – Historia Política (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 Jan 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Pike, Fredrick B. (1963). Chile and the United States, 1880-1962; the emergence of Chile's social crisis and the challenge to United States diplomacy. International Studies of the Committee on International Relations. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press. pp. 102, 211, 316.
  5. ↑ Bulletin of the Pan American Union. Vol. 33. Washington, DC: The Pan American Union. July–December 1911. p. 422.
  6. ↑ Nielsen, David (2019-05-28). History of the Mauser Rifle in Chile. Schiffer + ORM. ISBN 978-1-5073-0507-2. sensing the potential dangers inherent in the García note of 23 September 1911, acting minister of war Enrique Zañartu telegrammed the Weapons Commission and asked for the names of the reception committee for the OEWG spare parts.
  7. 1 2 Pavilack, Jody (2011). Mining for the Nation: The Politics of Chile's Coal Communities from the Popular Front to the Cold War. Penn State Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-271-03769-1. Enrique Zañartu Prieto–a powerful Liberal Party leader... served as finance minister in Carlos Dávila's short-lived government in 1932, when he had also run for president "as a more reformist candidate of the elites." Though relatively progressive, Zañartu Prieto represented the landed aristocracy
  8. ↑ Ingrey, Norman (August 11, 1932). "Chile Starts Up Printing Press to Erase Debts: Finance Chief Heads New Inflation Plan". Chicago Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved 30 August 2026 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Chile Forsakes Socialist Idea in Trade Crisis: Adopts New Debt and 214 Export Plans". Chicago Tribune. August 18, 1932. p. 22. Retrieved 30 August 2026 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Delays in Elections Forecast in Chile: Linked to Moves of Naval Leaders and Alleged Army Distrust of Government". The New York Times. 1932-10-23. p. 7. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-03. With the Presidential elections eight days ahead, the entire populace of this country is joining in public demonstrations for the various candidates. The unexpected withdrawal of Rodriguez de la Sotta, Conservative candidate, narrows the running down to Arturo Alessandri and Enrique Zanartu


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