Pedro Félix Vicuña
Encyclopedia
Pedro Félix Vicuña Aguirre (February 21, 1805, Santiago
, Chile
—May 24, 1874, Santiago) was a Chilean journalist and one of the founders in 1827 of the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso
, the oldest existing newspaper in Spanish language. He was also a liberal writer and politician.
and of Mariana de Aguirre y Boza
. Vicuña's father served two brief terms as acting president of Chile in 1829, and was widely considered as the head of the Liberal party. Pedro Félix Vicuña received an excellent education, studying humanities and commerce. From a young age he showed an interest in letters, and particularly in journalism. In 1825, at the age of 20, he moved from Santiago to Valparaíso
, where he bought a printing press and began publishing El Telégrafo Mercantil y Político. This periodical was founded October 3, 1826, and 89 issues were published. In 1826, he married Carmen Mackenna, daughter of Brigadier Juan Mackenna
, and they had thirteen children.
In 1827, at the age of 21, he founded the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso, together with typographers Thomas Wells and Ignacio Silva. The first issue appeared September 12, 1827. Initially it was published only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but in 1829 it became a daily. That same year, Vicuña sold his interest in the newspaper and moved back to Santiago (this was also the year that his father happened to serve as president of Chile.)
Back in the capital, he worked as editor for the newspaper La Ley y la Justicia. He also participated in El Censor (1830) and the magazine Paz Perpetua a los Chilenos (1836). As the result of ideas he expressed in Paz perpetua, he gained the enmity of Conservative Interior Minister Diego Portales
. Vicuña Aguirre was considered a liberal and a revolutionary.
, a future journalist and historian, was born to him and his wife. Disillusioned, he returned to rural life. In 1840 he supported the candidacy of Francisco Antonio Pinto
, also a Liberal, and opposed Manuel Bulnes
.
In 1842 he published El Observador, and in 1845 El Republicano, both of which supported the candidacy of liberal general Ramón Freire. As a result, he was exiled, and went to Peru
. In Peru he wrote the book Ocho meses de destierro o cartas sobre el Perú (Eight Months of Exile, or Letters About Peru). It was published in 1847 after his return to Chile.
He aided the revolutionaries of 1851, and was named intendente
of Concepción
during the armed rebellion. He fought government troops in the Battle of Loncomilla (December 8, 1815). Although he was defeated, he refused to sign the Treaty of Purapel, which ended the civil war.
In 1852 he wrote El porvenir del hombre (The Future of Man), considered his greatest work. In 1853 he published another autobiographical work, Memorias Íntimas. He was again elected to the Chamber of Deputies, for La Serena in 1864 and for Ovalle
in 1867. He supported three important reform projects — reform of the constitution, creation of a national bank, and organization of a mining tribunal. In his 1867 term he introduced a bill to end imprisonment for debt, which was passed by the Congress. In 1870 he was elected senator for the first of two terms. He died in 1874 in Santiago.
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
—May 24, 1874, Santiago) was a Chilean journalist and one of the founders in 1827 of the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso
El Mercurio
El Mercurio is a conservative Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. Its Santiago edition is considered the country's paper-of-record and its Valparaíso edition is the oldest daily in the Spanish language currently in circulation. El Mercurio is owned by El Mercurio S.A.P...
, the oldest existing newspaper in Spanish language. He was also a liberal writer and politician.
Early life
Vicuña was born in Santiago, the son of Francisco Ramón VicuñaFrancisco Ramón Vicuña
Francisco Ramón de Vicuña Larraín was a Chilean political figure. He served twice as acting President of Chile in 1829. Francisco Vicuña was of Basque descent.-Early life:...
and of Mariana de Aguirre y Boza
Mariana de Aguirre
Mariana de Aguirre y Boza was First Lady of Chile as wife of Chile's late-1829 President Francisco Ramón Vicuña with whom she had six children....
. Vicuña's father served two brief terms as acting president of Chile in 1829, and was widely considered as the head of the Liberal party. Pedro Félix Vicuña received an excellent education, studying humanities and commerce. From a young age he showed an interest in letters, and particularly in journalism. In 1825, at the age of 20, he moved from Santiago to Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, where he bought a printing press and began publishing El Telégrafo Mercantil y Político. This periodical was founded October 3, 1826, and 89 issues were published. In 1826, he married Carmen Mackenna, daughter of Brigadier Juan Mackenna
Juan Mackenna
Brigadier Juan Mackenna was an Irish-born, Chilean military officer and hero of the Chilean War of Independence. He is considered to have been the creator of the Corps of Military Engineers of the Chilean Army....
, and they had thirteen children.
In 1827, at the age of 21, he founded the newspaper El Mercurio de Valparaíso, together with typographers Thomas Wells and Ignacio Silva. The first issue appeared September 12, 1827. Initially it was published only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but in 1829 it became a daily. That same year, Vicuña sold his interest in the newspaper and moved back to Santiago (this was also the year that his father happened to serve as president of Chile.)
Back in the capital, he worked as editor for the newspaper La Ley y la Justicia. He also participated in El Censor (1830) and the magazine Paz Perpetua a los Chilenos (1836). As the result of ideas he expressed in Paz perpetua, he gained the enmity of Conservative Interior Minister Diego Portales
Diego Portales
Diego José Pedro Víctor Portales Palazuelos was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur. As a minister of president José Joaquín Prieto Diego Portales played a pivotal role in shaping the state and government politics in the 19th century, delivering with the Constitution of 1833 the framework of the...
. Vicuña Aguirre was considered a liberal and a revolutionary.
Political career
In 1831 Vicuña was elected deputy from La Serena, but his election was annulled by the Chamber of Deputies, dominated by the Conservatives. The same year his son Benjamín Vicuña MackennaBenjamín Vicuña Mackenna
Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna was a Chilean writer, journalist, historian and politician. Vicuña Mackenna was of Irish and Basque descent.-Biography:...
, a future journalist and historian, was born to him and his wife. Disillusioned, he returned to rural life. In 1840 he supported the candidacy of Francisco Antonio Pinto
Francisco Antonio Pinto
Francisco Antonio Pinto y Díaz de la Puente was a Chilean political figure. He was twice President of Chile between 1827 and 1829.-Early life:He was born in Santiago, the son of Joaquín Pinto and Mercedes Díaz de la Puente...
, also a Liberal, and opposed Manuel Bulnes
Manuel Bulnes
-Sources:* Juan B. Alberdi, Biografia de general Bulnes...
.
In 1842 he published El Observador, and in 1845 El Republicano, both of which supported the candidacy of liberal general Ramón Freire. As a result, he was exiled, and went to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. In Peru he wrote the book Ocho meses de destierro o cartas sobre el Perú (Eight Months of Exile, or Letters About Peru). It was published in 1847 after his return to Chile.
He aided the revolutionaries of 1851, and was named intendente
Intendente
Governors in the various Provinces of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.In addition to governors, the following list intends to give an overview of colonial units of the provincial level; therefore it also includes some offices of similar rank, especially the intendant...
of Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
during the armed rebellion. He fought government troops in the Battle of Loncomilla (December 8, 1815). Although he was defeated, he refused to sign the Treaty of Purapel, which ended the civil war.
In 1852 he wrote El porvenir del hombre (The Future of Man), considered his greatest work. In 1853 he published another autobiographical work, Memorias Íntimas. He was again elected to the Chamber of Deputies, for La Serena in 1864 and for Ovalle
Ovalle, Chile
Ovalle is a city in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, founded in 1831 as a settlement of more than 113,000 people. The name Ovalle was chosen to honor to Chile's vice-president José Tomás Ovalle...
in 1867. He supported three important reform projects — reform of the constitution, creation of a national bank, and organization of a mining tribunal. In his 1867 term he introduced a bill to end imprisonment for debt, which was passed by the Congress. In 1870 he was elected senator for the first of two terms. He died in 1874 in Santiago.