Manuel Fernández Pradel
Manuel Salustio Fernández Pradel (1826 – November 1906) was a Chilean surveyor, educator and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and twice as Minister of Finance.
He served as finance minister under presidents José Manuel Balmaceda and Jorge Montt. During his second tenure, he also briefly served as acting Minister of Justice and Public Instruction.
Early life
Fernández was born in Santiago in 1826 to Pedro Fernández Garfias and Manuela Pradel Fernández. He studied at the Instituto Nacional and later physical and mathematical sciences at the University of Chile, qualifying as a surveyor on 19 July 1850.
In 1851, he was appointed professor of mathematics and physics at the Liceo de La Serena. Two years later, he joined the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile. In 1856, he left teaching to work as a section chief at the Ministry of the Interior, where he remained until 1859.
Fernández married Pastoriza Fernández Garfias and later Manuela Frías.
Political career
Associated with the Liberal Party, Fernández was elected substitute deputy for Elqui for the 1858–1861 legislative period and joined the Chamber on 4 October 1859. He was subsequently elected substitute deputy for Puchacay for the 1861–1864 period and took his seat in place of the elected deputy Juan E. Ramírez.
In 1861, Fernández was appointed intendant of Maule Province. He later served for several years as manager of the Banco de Valparaíso and was a member of the Club de la Reforma.
Fernández was elected substitute deputy for Linares in 1870. The election was subsequently annulled by the Chamber and ordered to be repeated. Fernández did not take the oath of office, although he participated in the Constituent Congress of 1870, which considered reforms to the Constitution of 1833.
During the presidency of José Manuel Balmaceda, Fernández was appointed Minister of Finance on 11 August 1890. He served until 15 October, when he was succeeded by Lauro Barros Valdés.
President Jorge Montt appointed Fernández to the Finance Ministry for a second time on 7 December 1894, succeeding Carlos Riesco Errázuriz. He remained in office until 1 August 1895, when he was succeeded by Enrique Mac Iver. Between 7 and 18 December 1894, he concurrently served as acting Minister of Justice and Public Instruction.
Fernández died in Santiago in November 1906.