Gustavo Silva Campo

Gustavo Silva Campo (14 July 1885 – 10 September 1959) was a Chilean lawyer and politician affiliated with the Radical Party of Chile. He served multiple terms as deputy between 1915 and 1934 and was Minister of War and Navy in 1923.

Biography He was born in Combarbalá, Chile, on 14 July 1885, the son of Juan José Silva Vélez and Amalia Campo Gilbert. He studied at Colegio San Pedro Nolasco and later at the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile, qualifying as a lawyer on 29 December 1906. His thesis was titled Los cuasi delitos.

He served as professor at the Military Academy and at the Valentín Letelier High School. In 1922 he represented the Chamber of Deputies at the centennial celebrations of Brazil, and in 1931 he represented Chile at the International Congress of Brussels. He joined the Supreme Court in 1934 and served as ambassador to Ecuador from 1941 to 1944. He was also a member of the Council of Commercial Education.

He was a member of the Club de la Unión from 1915 and founder of the Asociación de Deportes Atléticos. He was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Government of Ecuador.

He died in Santiago on 10 September 1959.

Political career A member of the Radical Party of Chile, he was elected deputy for San Carlos for the 1915–1918 period, serving on the Permanent Commission of Public Instruction. He was re-elected for the 1918–1921 period, serving on the Permanent Commissions of Public Instruction and of Internal Police.

He was elected deputy for Tarapacá and Pisagua for the 1921–1924 period, serving on the Permanent Commissions of Foreign Affairs and Colonization and of Public Instruction.

In 1924 he was elected deputy for Ovalle, Combarbalá and Illapel, and served as President of the Chamber on 9 June 1924. He was later elected deputy for the 4th Departamental Circumscription (La Serena, Coquimbo, Elqui, Ovalle, Combarbalá and Illapel) for the 1926–1930 period and re-elected for the 1930–1934 period, serving on the Permanent Commissions of Foreign Affairs and of Internal Police.

He had an important role in the approval of the Compulsory Primary Education Law.

He was appointed Minister of War and Navy by President Arturo Alessandri, serving from 12 January to 16 March 1923.