Manuel Bulnes

Manuel Bulnes
4th President of Chile
In office
18 September 1841 – 18 September 1851
Preceded byJosé Joaquín Prieto
Succeeded byManuel Montt
Personal details
Born25 December 1799
Concepción, Kingdom of Chile
Died18 October 1866(1866-10-18) (aged 66)
Santiago, Chile
Political partyConservative Party
SpouseEnriqueta Pinto
ChildrenLucia Bulnes de Vergara
Signature
Military service
Battles/wars

Manuel Bulnes Prieto (Latin American Spanish: [maˈnwel ˈβulnes]; December 25, 1799 – October 18, 1866) was a Chilean military and political figure. He was twice President of Chile, from 1841 to 1846 and from 1846 to 1851.

Born in Concepción, he served as the president of Chile between 1841 and 1851. At the age of 16 he was imprisoned as a revolutionary by the Spanish authorities, but was soon released, and in 1818 joined the army of San Martin under whom he served as colonel throughout the Chilean War of Independence. After three years of continuous warfare (1820–23), he accomplished the temporary conquest of the Araucanian Indians. He was appointed brigadier general in 1831. In 1832 he crossed the Cordillera and defeated decisively the Pincheira brothers in the battle of Epulafquén. Then Bulnes commanded the Chilean army in 1838 against Gen. Santa Cruz in Peru; and, after taking Lima and winning the battles of Huaraz and Puente del Buin, combined his forces with those of Gamarra and defeated Santa Cruz at the Battle of Yungay (January 19, 1839), thus putting an end to the confederation between Peru and Bolivia.