José Manuel Huerta Maturana

José Manuel Huerta Maturana (7 December 1882 – 13 October 1962) was a Chilean dentist, businessman, farmer and liberal politician who held multiple municipal and parliamentary offices between 1915 and 1953.

Biography Huerta Maturana was born in Quillota on 7 December 1882, the son of José Manuel Huerta Lira and Corina Maturana Celis. He studied dentistry at the University of Chile and graduated in 1903, practising the profession for sixteen years. He married Lucrecia Muñoz Artigas, daughter of Bernardo Muñoz Vargas and Julia Artigas y Vargas; they had seven children, including José Miguel Huerta, who later became vice president of the Chamber of Deputies.

In business and agriculture, he developed several enterprises in the province of Malleco. Among them were the Molino Moderno de Victoria; the estates San Luis de Tricauco (Victoria), Baltimore and Niblinto (Collipulli), and San Miguel de los Llanos (La Estrella); the Livestock Fair of Victoria; and commercial representation activities for Gibbs y Cía. and RCA Victor. He was also a partner of the firm Germani, Huerta y Cía. Ltda.

He held an active civic and social role, being a member of the Club de Septiembre and the Club de la Unión in Santiago, and founder, member and president of the Rotary Club and the Club Social de Victoria.

Political career Huerta Maturana served three periods as Mayor of Victoria: 1915–1918, 1925–1926 and 1941–1943. He was later elected Mayor of La Estrella for the 1950–1953 term.

He was elected Deputy for the 20th Departamental Group (“Angol, Collipulli, Traiguén, Victoria and Curacautín”) for three legislative periods: 1933–1937, 1937–1941 and 1945–1949. During his parliamentary service he was vice president of the Chamber of Deputies and sat on various permanent committees.

José Manuel Huerta Maturana died in Santiago on 13 October 1962.