Rafael Cifuentes Latham

Rafael Cifuentes Latham (1 February 1899 – 14 September 1945) was a Chilean lawyer, farmer and conservative politician.

Biography He was the son of Luis Eduardo Cifuentes Gómez and Luisa Latham, and married Francisca Carrasco in 1929.

He studied at the Colegio San Ignacio and later at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Chile, where he earned his law degree.

He engaged in agricultural activities in the province of Ñuble, where he operated the Dañicalqui estate in Yungay.

Political Activities A member of the Conservative Party, he served as regidor (councilman) of the municipality of Yungay between 1929 and 1931.

He was elected Deputy for the 16th Departamental Group (Chillán, Bulnes and Yungay) for the 1933–1937 term, joining the Permanent Committee on National Defense. He was re-elected for the 1937–1941 period, and again for 1941–1945 and 1945–1949, serving on the Permanent Committee on Social-Medical Assistance and Hygiene.

He died in office on 14 September 1945. In the complementary election, Héctor Zañartu Urrutia (Conservative Party) was elected with 8,439 votes, defeating Miguel Ángel Vega (Democratic Party, 2,413 votes) and Pedro Poblete Vera (Socialist Party, 1,654 votes). Zañartu was sworn in on 18 December 1945.

Memberships He was a member of the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura, the Club de La Unión, and other social institutions of the Ñuble province.