Hipólito de Villegas
Encyclopedia
Hipólito de Villegas y Fernández Manzanares (c. 1761 - April 12, 1838) was a Chile
an political figure, who participated actively in the war of independence in that country, and served as its first Minister of Finance.
Villegas was born in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
, but his family moved to Chile when he was very young. He studied at the Real Universidad de San Felipe and graduated as a lawyer on December 13, 1788 (incidentally becoming the first lawyer to graduate in Chile.) He was an active participant in the Chilean War of Independence. On September 25, 1811, he was elected deputy for "Coquimbo" to the first National Congress, to replace Marcos Gallo, who was a known royalist, and he went on to become Vice President of the Assembly on November 22. As such he signed the Constitution of 1812.
In 1813, he became General Commissary of the Army (functionary in charge of supplies), and was named Minister-Treasurer in 1814. Later the same year and after the Battle of Rancagua, he was forced to exile himself to Argentina
. He moved to Buenos Aires, where General José de San Martín
appointed him representative of the Army of the Andes, in charge of negotiating the financial support from the Buenos Ayres government.
He finally returned to Chile with the army in 1817, and was appointed Minister of Finance by Bernardo O'Higgins
, a position he held from February 18, 1817 until March 30, 1818. As such, he drafted the first budget for the new republic. He was again elected a deputy, this time for "Huasco", in 1823, but resigned a month later after the exile of O'Higgins. He withdrew from public life after that until his death at the age of 77.
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...
an political figure, who participated actively in the war of independence in that country, and served as its first Minister of Finance.
Villegas was born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, but his family moved to Chile when he was very young. He studied at the Real Universidad de San Felipe and graduated as a lawyer on December 13, 1788 (incidentally becoming the first lawyer to graduate in Chile.) He was an active participant in the Chilean War of Independence. On September 25, 1811, he was elected deputy for "Coquimbo" to the first National Congress, to replace Marcos Gallo, who was a known royalist, and he went on to become Vice President of the Assembly on November 22. As such he signed the Constitution of 1812.
In 1813, he became General Commissary of the Army (functionary in charge of supplies), and was named Minister-Treasurer in 1814. Later the same year and after the Battle of Rancagua, he was forced to exile himself to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He moved to Buenos Aires, where General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
appointed him representative of the Army of the Andes, in charge of negotiating the financial support from the Buenos Ayres government.
He finally returned to Chile with the army in 1817, and was appointed Minister of Finance by Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
, a position he held from February 18, 1817 until March 30, 1818. As such, he drafted the first budget for the new republic. He was again elected a deputy, this time for "Huasco", in 1823, but resigned a month later after the exile of O'Higgins. He withdrew from public life after that until his death at the age of 77.