Orlando Cantuarias

Gustavo Orlando Octaviano Cantuarias Zepeda (18 December 1929 – 6 November 2014) was a Chilean lawyer and politician, member of the Radical Party of Chile (PR) and later of the Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD). He served as Minister of Mining and later as Minister of Housing and Urbanism under President Salvador Allende.

He also briefly held the portfolio of Public Health as acting minister. He is especially remembered for his role in the nationalization of copper in 1971.

Early life He was born in Santiago on 18 December 1929, the son of Orlando Cantuarias Valdivieso —third rector of the Internado Nacional Barros Arana— and Cristina Zepeda Olivares.

On 17 December 1960, he married María Mercedes Costa Rivers. They had one son, Rodrigo Orlando Cantuarias Costa.

On 3 November 1970, President Salvador Allende appointed him Minister of Mining. During his tenure, Law 17.450 of copper nationalization was enacted and promulgated on 16 July 1971, marking a milestone in Chile’s economic history.

In 1971, he also assumed on three occasions as acting Minister of Public Health, replacing Óscar Jiménez Pinochet and Juan Carlos Concha Gutiérrez.

On 28 January 1972, he was appointed Minister of Housing and Urbanism, a post he held until 17 June of the same year.

After leaving the cabinet, he ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for deputy for Concepción in the 1973 Chilean parliamentary election. Following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, he was detained at the Dawson Island internment camp together with José Tohá, Luis Corvalán, Orlando Letelier, and Clodomiro Almeyda.

During the military dictatorship, Cantuarias worked on reorganizing the Radical Party and later went into exile in Mexico and Europe. In September 1988, prior to the national plebiscite, he was allowed to return to Chile.

Later life After the return to democracy, he became general manager of the state-owned company Polla Chilena de Beneficencia (1990–2000). In 1994, he joined the newly founded Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD) and served as interim party president in 2002 following the death of Anselmo Sule. He temporarily reassumed the presidency in 2003 after the resignation of Patricio Tombolini. He stepped down in 2004, being succeeded by Enrique Silva Cimma.

Cantuarias was also a member of the Grand Lodge of Chile.

He died in Santiago on 6 November 2014 at the age of 84. His remains were interred in the Parque del Recuerdo.