Diego Portales - Legacy

Legacy

Portales’ reign helped to pick up business and accelerate the growth of the economy. Those who particularly benefited from his conservative rule were the already rich. Additionally, Portales helped Chile maintain a good deal of stability relative to many of the other Latin American nations. This was accomplished by Portales’ improvement and renewal of the administration of the State, his strategic vision of Chile as an independent and sovereign Latin American country, and his influence in the Chilean Constitution of 1833, which is considered the most important milestone of Chilean institutionality during the 19th century. His ideals and principles served as a foundation to the Chilean government of the future. His work was especially influential during the years of political learning of the post-independence turmoil and during the governments of the Conservative Republic (1830–1861) and in a lesser degree the governments of the Liberal Republic (1861–1891)