José Rafael Balmaceda

Who was José Rafael Balmaceda?

José Rafael del Carmen Balmaceda Fernández was a Chilean politician, diplomat and brother of President José Manuel Balmaceda. He was of Basque descent.

He was born in Renca, the son of Manuel José Balmaceda Ballesteros and of Encarnación Fernández Salas. He completed his studies at the Instituto Nacional and then attended the University of Louvain, where he graduated with a doctorate in Political Science. Early in his life he dedicated most of his time to his Hacienda San José in Puente Alto. Balmaceda married Ana Bello Codesido, and together they had seven children.

José Rafael Balmaceda started his political career by joining the Liberal Party and was promptly elected deputy for "Angol" and was reelected for the "Balmaceda" congress as a deputy for "Concepción and Talcahuano", but this congress was dissolved after only a few months. After the 1891 Chilean Civil War that deposed his brother, President José Manuel Balmaceda, his house was looted, and he was exiled together with his family. In Buenos Aires, Argentina he published "The revolution and condemnation of the Vicuña ministry", under the pseudonym "Nemo", in which he defended his brother's policies and attacked the revolutionary party. He also published "History Pages" and "Death of Balmaceda".