Atanasio de Urioste Velasco

Atanasio de Urioste Velasco (1 January 1861 – 28 March 1925) was a Bolivian diplomat, politician, and socialite who served in Bolivian delegations to France and Russia. He belonged to the prominent Urioste family, grandson of the magnate Atanasio de Urioste, brother of the Princess of La Glorieta, Clotilde de Urioste, and father to the industrialist and business magnate Armando Julio Urioste Arana. He was secretary of the special mission to represent Bolivia at the coronation of Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1902. He would be the recipient of the Spanish civil Order of Isabella the Catholic, an honor he received due to his distinguished services in the field of diplomacy.

Early life

Family and education The son of Melitón de Urioste Gómez and Petronila Clotilde Velasco del Rivero, who was a first cousin of José Miguel de Velasco, he was born in the city of Sucre to a prominent family. He was educated in France and England where he received an excellent education and established connections for his later career as a diplomat.

He attended the Lycée Fénelon Sainte-Marie in Paris and Ealing Grammar School in London. While in England, he met with fellow Bolivian aristocrat José Gutiérrez Guerra, who attended Stonyhurst College and would become President of Bolivia.

During his time in United Kingdom, Urioste developed liberal tendencies that would follow him to Bolivia once he returned. Embracing liberalism in economics, he was a staunch proponent of capitalism and industrialisation in his home country. Regardless of his radical liberal ideas, Urioste became a close ally and business partner of Pacheco and future president Aniceto Arce. Urioste distinguished himself serving in the Chamber of Deputies. He played a crucial role in expanding and creating electrical grids for several cities in Bolivia, mainly in Sucre. He would become the owner of the first telecommunications and electrical company in Sucre.

During his time in the Chamber of Deputies, there were several instances of fights and disagreements, as noted by the recorded transcripts of many sessions, involving Urioste. He was remembered for being inflexible and passionate, being a staunch liberal, which often led to intense verbal jousts with his political opponents.

To his party's dismay, Urioste often acted as a link between the Liberals and Conservatives, oftentimes acting as a mediator between the party leaders. For this, he often clashed with his own partisans as well as with the Conservatives. President Baptista had actually initially opposed the creation of the bank, especially because Francisco Argandoña was a brother-in-law to his fierce rival. Eventually, Baptista, through Arce's efforts, approved and the Bank was created through the Law of October 22, 1892. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Huanchaca Company.

Personal life Urioste was married to Adela Arana in 1882, a member of an illustrious Bolivian family, with whom he had six children: Amelia Adela; Armando Julio; Luis Roberto; Emma; Gastón Marcel; and Amalia. His son, Armando Julio, would be an important Bolivian industrialist and one of the wealthiest men in the country.