Álvaro Santa María

Álvaro Santa Maria
Member of the Senate of Chile
In office
15 May 1933 – October 1940
Succeeded byAníbal Cruzat
ConstituencyAconcagua and Valparaíso
Minister of Justice and Public Instruction
In office
20 November 1926 – 21 December 1926
PresidentEmiliano Figueroa Larraín
Preceded byAlamiro Huidobro
Succeeded byRamón Montero
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
15 May 1924 – 11 September 1924
ConstituencyLontué and Curepto
Personal details
Born(1887-03-08)8 March 1887
Died1 October 1940(1940-10-01) (aged 53)
PartyLiberal Democratic Party
Alma materUniversity of Chile (LL.B)
OccupationLawyer, politician

Álvaro Santa María Cerveró (8 March 1887 – October 1940) was a Chilean lawyer and politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served as a deputy, senator, and Minister of Justice during the presidency of Emiliano Figueroa Larraín.[1]

Early life and education

Santa María Cerveró was born in Santiago on 8 March 1887, one of six children of former deputy Hermenegildo Santa María Cea and Teresa Cerveró Larraín.[1] He completed his primary and secondary education at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones in Santiago and later studied law at the University of Chile in Valparaíso, qualifying as a lawyer on 9 November 1910.[1]

He married Carmen Prieto Subercaseaux, with whom he had two children, Ximena and Álvaro.[1]

Professional career

He practiced law in Valparaíso, holding various public positions, including clerk of the Court of Appeals of Valparaíso and Secretary General of the Chilean Navy, under Admiral Jorge Montt. He was the last civilian to hold that position.[1]

In the private sector, he served as director of the Central Insurance Company and the Commercial Bank, and worked as legal counsel for banks and nitrate companies, including Barburizza, Lukinovic, and The Lautaro Nitrate Company.[1]

He specialized in nitrate-related legal matters and Bolivian mining law, spending extended periods in Bolivia. In 1923, he became secretary of the Association for Primary Education of Valparaíso. He was also a member of the Club de La Unión in Santiago, president of the Viña del Mar Club, a member of the Sporting Club of Valparaíso, and served on the council of the Valparaíso Bar Association.[1]

Political career

Santa María Cerveró was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, serving as party secretary in Valparaíso and president of its propaganda committee.[1]

In the 1924 Chilean parliamentary election, he was elected as a deputy for Lontué and Curepto for the 1924–1927 legislative period. His term ended prematurely following the dissolution of the National Congress of Chile on 11 September 1924 after a military coup. During his tenure, he served on the Standing Committees on Budget and on Legislation and Justice.[1]

On 20 November 1926, during the presidency of Emiliano Figueroa Larraín, he was appointed Minister of Justice and Public Instruction, serving until 21 December 1926.[1]

In the 1932 Chilean parliamentary election, he was elected senator for the Third Provincial Constituency (Aconcagua and Valparaíso), serving from 1933 to 1937. He was a member of the Standing Committee on the Constitution, Legislation, Justice and Regulations, and a substitute member of the Standing Committee on Finance, Commerce and Municipal Loans.[1]

He was re-elected senator in the 1937 Chilean parliamentary election for the 1937–1945 term and served as a member and president of the Standing Committee on Public Education. He did not complete his term due to his death in October 1940 at the age of 53.[1] He was succeeded in the Senate on 18 December 1940 by Aníbal Cruzat.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l de Ramón Folch, Armando (2003). Biografías de Chilenos: Miembros de los Poderes Ejecutivo, Legislativo y Judicial (1876–1973). Vol. IV. Santiago, Chile: Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Press. p. 111.
  2. ^ "Celso Aníbal Cruzat Ortega". Library of the National Congress of Chile. Retrieved 22 December 2022.