General Manuel García Banqueda (1803 – May 4, 1872) 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 military and political figure.

García Banqueda was born 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...

, the son of Antonio García, Lieutenant in the "Dragones de la Reina" (Queen's Dragoons) and of Juana Banqueda. In 1817 (at the age of 12), he became a cadet in the recently formed Military Academy, created 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...

 that year. He fought in the Battle of Maipú

Battle of Maipú

The Battle of Maipú was a battle fought near Santiago, Chile on April 5, 1818 between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence...

, during the Chilean War of Independence. He also participated in the Valdivia and Chiloé campaigns of 1825 and 1826. He married Dolores Carmona Fonseca, and they had several children.

García Banqueda was promoted to captain in 1824, and participated in the Occupation of the Araucanía

Occupation of the Araucanía

The Occupation of Araucanía was a series of military campaigns, agreements and penetrations by the Chilean army and settlers which led to the incorporation of Araucanía into Chilean national territory...

 during the later stages of the Arauco War

Arauco War

The Arauco War was a conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people in what is now the Araucanía and Biobío regions of modern Chile...

, against the Araucanian bands of Mariluán. He was also present at the capture of the Roquecura castle and the battle of Bellavista. In 1828, he campaigned against the Pincheira brothers. During the War of the Confederation

War of the Confederation

The War of the Confederation , was a conflict between the Peru-Bolivian Confederation on one side and Chile, Peruvian dissidents and Argentina, on the other, fought mostly in the actual territory of Peru and which ended with a Confederate defeat and the dissolution of the...

 he fought at the battles of Portada de Guías (1838), Chiquián, Buin, Yungay

Battle of Yungay

The Battle of Yungay effectively destroyed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation created by Bolivian Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1836...

 (1839), and in the capture of Lima

Lima

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

. He was promoted to Colonel on the field of Yungay as a reward for his bravery.

In 1834 he was elected Deputy

Chamber of Deputies of Chile

The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....

 for "Rancagua" until 1837. He was a firm supporter of 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...

. In 1840 he was again elected a deputy and again between 1852 and 1861, this times for "Santiago", "Concepcion" and "San Carlos". He was promoted to Brigade General in 1855, and Division General in 1862. He fought at Loncomilla, and captured Talca during the 1858 rebellion.

President Manuel Montt

Manuel Montt

Manuel Francisco Antonio Julián Montt Torres was a Chilean statesman and scholar. He was twice elected President of Chile between 1851 and 1861.-Biography:...

 named him Minister of War and Navy, a position he held between September 29, 1857 and July 9, 1862, having been reconfirmed in his position by President José Joaquín Pérez

José Joaquín Pérez

José Joaquín Pérez Mascayano was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile between 1861 and 1871....

. He died in Santiago.

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