Manuel Camilo Vial

Manuel Camilo Vial
Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs
In office 1846–1849
President	Manuel Bulnes
Preceded by	Manuel Montt
Succeeded by	José Joaquín Pérez
Minister of Finance
In office 1846–1848
President	Manuel Bulnes
Preceded by	José Joaquín Pérez
Succeeded by	Salvador Sanfuentes
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 1 June 1843 – 31 May 1846
Constituency	Cauquenes Province
In office 1 June 1834 – 31 May 1840
Constituency	San Carlos
In office 1 June 1831 – 11 March 1834
Constituency	Casablanca
Personal details
Born	(1804-03-20)20 March 1804 Valparaíso, Chile
Died	20 February 1882(1882-02-20) (aged 77) Valparaíso, Chile

Manuel Camilo Agustín Vial Formas (March 20, 1804 – February 20, 1882) was a Chilean political figure and conservative politician. He served several times as minister.

Biography

He was born in Valparaíso, he was the son of Agustín Vial Santelices and of María del Rosario de Formas y Patiño Sánchez de Morales.

After completing his studies, he graduated as a lawyer on July 30, 1835. He married Luisa Carrera Fontecilla and together had one son, Agustín. After her death he married Rafaela de la Lastra Valdivieso, with whom he had eight children.

Political career

He became the secretary of the "Congreso de Plenipotenciarios" on September 14, 1830; replacing José Miguel Varas Vallejos. As a leader of the Conservative party, he was elected deputy for Casablanca in 1831. He became Secretary of the chamber and member of the permanent committee on government and foreign affairs as well as the one on legislative affairs and justice. He was reelected, this time for San Carlos, on 1834, and again for Cauquenes in 1843.

Vial was elected a Senator from 1846 to 1855; and then again from 1864 to his death in 1882. President Manuel Bulnes named him Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs on September 18, 1846; of Finance, on September 2, 1848; of Justice, Cult and Public Education, on 1849. He was also plenipotentiary minister to Peru in 1846. He was also a State Councillor and Supreme Court fiscal. He died in Valparaiso, at the age of 78.