José Joaquín Vicuña Larraín (1786–1857) was a 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...

an politician whose selection as vice president by Congress

National Congress of Chile

The National Congress is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile.The National Congress of Chile was founded on July 4, 1811...

 precipitated the Chilean Civil War of 1829. He was of Basque

Basque people

The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...

 descent.

Vicuña was from a powerful family; of his brothers, Francisco Ramón Vicuña

Francisco 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:...

 was an influential politician, and Manuel Vicuña was Archbishop of Santiago

Archbishop of Santiago (Chile)

The Archbishop of Santiago de Chile is a Roman Catholic title given to the archbishop of the church in the Diocese of Santiago de Chile. From 1561 to 1840 the title was a bishop but since 1840 with Manuel Vicuña Larraín it was elevated to archbishop status....

. He is primarily known for his role in the presidential election of 1829

Chilean presidential election, 1829

The Chilean presidential election of 1829 took place on May 15-16 1829, through a system of electors.The newly enacted Constitution of 1828, provided that the President was to be chosen by electors. Two-hundred and sixteen electors, three for each congressman, were to be chosen...

. He ran for president, finishing fourth; but rather than appointing the runner-up (or even second runner-up) as vice president, the Congress controlled by his brother's party appointed Joaquín, precipitating a civil war.

He founded the town of Vicuña

Vicuña, Chile

Vicuña is a Chilean commune and city in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, founded during the government of Bernardo O'Higgins to secure sovereignty over the Elqui Valley. The famous Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral was born there in 1889. It borders to the west with the communes of La Higuera, La...

in 1821.