LIBERAL REPUBLIC: BACKGROUND, CHARACTERISTICS AND PRESIDENTS - HISTORY - 2025

The Liberal Republic or liberal period of Chile was a long process of political and economic transformations that the country experienced. This period goes from 1861 to 1891, during which liberalism gained preponderance while conservatism was losing its roots and leadership.

It was the period immediately after the Conservative or authoritarian Republic that was consolidated from the entry into force of the Constitution of 1833. Although in Chile these liberal ideas were adopted late -because they were already in force for almost a century-, they managed to take hold. quickly in society.

Aníbal Pinto Garmendia, President of Chile between 1876 and 1881

Liberal ideas erupted with great force in Chilean society, generating a series of debates around presidential power, as well as the need to achieve a balance of powers and increase the powers of Parliament.

During the Liberal Republic, it was sought to progressively diminish the immense power held by the Catholic Church within the State until it reached secularism. Changes were called for in the power structures and in the conservative Chilean society itself.

Chile's liberal period is also known as the Epoch of Expansion, because the country expanded its territory after winning the War of the Pacific.

Background

After Independence in 1818 and the period of the so-called New Homeland, Chile experienced a process characterized by political instability. It began with the resignation of Bernardo O'Higgins to the supreme leadership of the nation and continued with the successive governments that the country had until 1830.

There were many disagreements between the Chilean oligarchy and the commanders of the liberating army. Various types of government were adopted and all had a very short-lived duration because the rivalries between the different political factions did not allow it.

Federalists, centralists, liberals, and authoritarians could not agree to lead Chile.

After the defeat of the Liberals (called Pipiolos) by the Conservatives (Pelcones) at the Battle of Lircay in 1830, and after the election of President José Joaquín Prieto in 1831, Chile entered another stage in its history.

The thought and hegemony of the Conservative Party prevailed for the next three decades until 1861. Then, in 1833, a new Constitution was approved that gave way to the Conservative or authoritarian Republic that was consolidated under this text.

However, this hegemony would not last forever, because liberal thought was gaining adherents in Chile as in the entire world. Added to this is the difficult economic situation the country went through at the end of this period and the backwardness situation, which fueled hurricanes of change.

The anticlerical sentiment of rejection of the power accumulated by the Church during the Colony and in the following decades after Independence also influenced. In this context, the Liberal Republic of Chile was born.

Political and economic characteristics

Policies

The ideology of the Liberal Republic revolved around the following characteristics and ideals:

- The search for a balance between the three powers of the State: Executive, Legislative and Judicial.

- Reduce the power and the intervention of the Catholic Church in the affairs of the State until achieving secularism or separation of religious power and political power.

- Achieve equality before the law of all sectors of society, as well as obtaining greater individual freedoms, including freedom of conscience.

- Promote a series of political changes in government institutions through legal reform and the approval of a new liberal constitution.

- Limit the excessive power of the President of the Republic through a profound legislative reform.

- Promulgation of the so-called secular laws from the year 1883. The legal norms approved were the Law of secular cemeteries, the Law of civil registration and the Law of civil marriage. In this way, the Church was stripped of the records of births, marriages, deaths and marriages, and the administration of cemeteries.

- During this period, Chilean liberalism concentrated on achieving the constitutional reform of the Magna Carta of 1833. This action strengthened the power of Congress before the Executive Power.

- It was at the same time a stage of consolidation of the party system in Chile, in which political organizations improved their structures and programs. Likewise, the parties entered into alliances and coalitions for the exercise of political-parliamentary activity.

Economical

-It is during this period when the country managed to improve its shaky economic situation. In this sense, the increased exploitation of copper, silver and saltpeter mineral deposits was extremely important.

- However, the economic boom again caused another war with Peru and Bolivia in 1879, which became known as the War of the Pacific.

- However, the military actions brought with them an increase in the territories and the surface of the country. After winning the war, Chile annexed the territories of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, along with Easter Island and the occupation of lands in the Araucanía region.

- Important deposits were discovered in 1870 in the mining town called Mineral de Caracoles and in the Salar del Carmen (saltpeter).

- The Law on the Inconvertibility of Banknotes was approved in 1878. During this period of government, financing of the deficit began with the printing of new banknotes that led to an increase in inflation.

Constitutional reform

The liberal reform of the Conservative Constitution of 1833 specifically focused on:

- The prohibition of the immediate reelection of the president of the republic for 5 years, in order to promote alternation in power.

- Extension of the right to vote with the suppression of the census suffrage. It was established as the only requirement to vote to be able to read and write for men of legal age.

- Freedom of association and assembly was established along with freedom of teaching.

- The powers of the President of the Republic were curtailed during the state of siege.

- The process of impeachment of ministers by Congress was established, for which its viability was facilitated.

- In order to guarantee the full functioning of the legislative chambers, the quorum required to hold sessions was lowered.

Presidents

José Joaquín Pérez (1861–1871)

His government lasted ten years, as he was the last president to be reelected due to the immediate reelection validity.

For his first government he ran as a consensus candidate. During his tenure, he incorporated political figures of a moderate and conciliatory tendency in an attempt to settle the serious divisions that remained due to the Civil War of 1859.

The Boundary Treaty with the Republic of Bolivia was established in 1866 and freedom of worship was promulgated.

The occupation and colonization of the Biobío territory took place, widening the indigenous frontier of the Mapuches to the Malleco River in 1861 as part of an expansionist military policy.

Between 1865 and 1866 the war against Spain took place and in 1871 immediate presidential re-election was prohibited through the approval of the constitutional reform.

Federico Errázuriz Zañartu (1871-1876)

During his period of government, important reforms were made to the Constitution, such as the Organic Law of Courts of 1875, the freedom of education and the press and the Penal Code of 1874, in addition to the signing of the border treaty with Bolivia from 1874.

Large urban works were undertaken such as the remodeling of the Chilean capital. New avenues and streets were laid out in Santiago and parks and public squares were modernized. At this time, urban trams began to be used and the railway was extended to the south in the areas of Chillan and Angol.

Aníbal Pinto Garmendia (1876–1881)

During his administration, the country was mired in a dramatic economic crisis, which he tried to alleviate with an austere economic and tax policy.

The need to attract new resources to finance the State led him to create new taxes and make extensive cuts to public spending.

Among the main aspects of his government is the approval in 1880 of the incompatibility of positions in the public administration (judicial positions with parliamentarians and administrative).

The boundary treaty with Argentina in 1881 also stands out. In the penultimate year of the presidential term, the War of the Pacific began in 1879.

Domingo Santa María (1881–1886)

During his government the process of separation of the clergy from state activity was further deepened. Other relevant events in his administration were the end of the Pacific War in 1883 and the pacification of Araucanía.

Laws of individual guarantees, universal suffrage, the so-called secular laws were approved and the presidential veto was eliminated.

José Manuel Balmaceda Fernández (1886-1891)

Balmaceda Fernández ruled between 1886 and 1891, in a period that began politically very stable because he had a majority in Congress.

In addition, the Archbishop of Santiago, Mariano Casanova, contributed to appease the political-ecclesiastical rivalries. On the other hand, there was a growth in fiscal income that gave stability to the government.

In 1891 the political pugnacity between the Executive and Legislative powers led to the Civil War.

References

1. Liberal Republic. Retrieved May 15, 2018 from portaleducativo.net
2. Federico Guillermo Gil: The political system of Chile. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
3. Chile. The national construction (1830-1880), Volume 2. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
4. Liberal Republic (1861-1891). Consulted of profesorenlinea.cl
5. Liberal Republic. Consulted of icarito.cl
6. Sergio Villalobos R: Chile and its history. Recovered from books.google.co.ve