Alfonso Ugarte

Who was Alfonso Ugarte?

Alfonso Ugarte was a Peruvian civilian turned military commander during the War of the Pacific, between Peru and Bolivia against Chile. He held the rank of Colonel.

Ugarte was born in Tarapacá, Peru, the son of the rich tarapaqueños retailers Don Narciso Ugarte and Doña Rosa Vernal. At an early age, he was sent by his parents to the Chilean port of Valparaiso, where he was educated, finishing his studies in 1868. On his return to Peru, he settled in Iquique, where he administered the family business. He was elected City Mayor in 1876.

At the beginning of the War of the Pacific, Ugarte was about to leave the country for a business trip to Europe, but instead he decided to stay in order to organize a battalion using his own money. This unit was recruited from the workers and craftsmen of Iquique. It was named "Battalion Iquique N° 1", and it consisted of 429 enlisted men and 36 officers. As he enlisted a whole battalion to the war effort, he was admitted into the army as a Colonel.

He fought at the Battle of Tarapacá, where he was injured.