Pedro León Ugalde

Pedro León Ugalde Naranjo (1892 – 6 July 1935) was a Chilean lawyer and politician. A member of the Radical Party, he served as Senator for the Fourth Provincial Grouping (Santiago) during the 1933–1941 legislative period, until his death in office in 1935. He was previously a deputy and became widely known for his open opposition to the military intervention of September 1924.

Biography Ugalde Naranjo was born in 1892 to Nicolás Ugalde and Dalila Naranjo. He married Ana Arias, with whom he had three children: Ana Eugenia ―future parliamentarian―, Pedro León and José Miguel.

He studied law at the University of Chile and qualified as a lawyer on 24 May 1921. His graduation thesis was titled Consideraciones sobre los perniciosos efectos del papel moneda. During his student years, he served as president of the University Law Center in 1919 and was appointed subdelegation judge that same year.

Political career Ugalde Naranjo militated in the Radical Party. In 1921, he served as municipal councilor of Santiago.

He was elected Deputy for Quillota and Limache for the 1924–1927 legislative period, assuming office on 24 July 1924. He was the only parliamentarian to openly protest inside the Chamber against the military movement of 5 September 1924. Following the dissolution of Congress on 11 September 1924, he became actively involved in public opposition to the de facto regime, which led to his arrest, prosecution by a military court, and sentencing to three years of internal exile. He was later cleared of responsibility in 1926 due to parliamentary immunity following his re-election.

Despite this, he was expelled from Chile in 1927 and lived in Argentina, where he became involved in Yrigoyenist political circles. He returned to Chile on several occasions, suffering repeated arrests and expulsions until his definitive return in August 1931, after which he founded and directed the newspaper La Libertad.

He returned to Congress as Deputy for the Sixth Departmental Circumscription (Valparaíso, Quillota, Limache and Casablanca) for the 1926–1930 period, serving as a replacement member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare.

In the October 1932 parliamentary elections, he was elected Senator for the Fourth Provincial Grouping (Santiago) for the 1933–1941 term. During his senatorial service, he served on the Standing Committees on Government and on Public Education. His mandate was cut short by his death in office on 6 July 1935. He was succeeded in the Senate by Arturo Ureta Echazarreta, who assumed office on 28 October 1935.