Ramón Silva Ulloa

Ramón Augusto Silva Ulloa (31 August 1914 – 31 October 2004) was a Chilean accountant, trade unionist and politician.

He served as deputy between 1953 and 1969 and as senator between 1969 and 1973, representing socialist movements such as the Popular Socialist Union (USOPO).

Biography He was the son of Augusto Armando Silva Montenegro, founder of the Sociedad de Artesanos de Limache, and Elisa Ulloa Trujillo.

Professionally, he worked for nitrate companies in Antofagasta and later at the Compañía Minera Disputada de Las Condes (1934–1937) and the Chile Exploration Company in Chuquicamata (1937–1952). He was a member of the Colegio de Contadores and a retired member of the Sociedad de Artesanos de Limache.

Political career Socialist militancy and union leadership He began his militancy in the Nueva Acción Pública (NAP) in 1930, a party that merged in 1933 to form the Socialist Party of Chile. He was director of the Chuquicamata Employees' Union in 1939. In 1951, during a strike of miners, he was detained under the Law for the Permanent Defense of Democracy and imprisoned for 46 days in Iquique, without reinstatement in the company afterwards.

He served as councillor of La Serena (1947–1950) and later as councillor of Calama (1950–1953), acting as deputy mayor. He was one of the founders of the Confederation of Copper Workers in Machalí (1951). In 1952 he joined the Popular Socialist Party.

Deputy and senator He was elected deputy for Antofagasta, Taltal and Tocopilla for the 1953–1957 term. He was re-elected for 1957–1961 and 1961–1965, serving in permanent commissions of Economy, Commerce, Government and Police. In 1965 he was again re-elected for 1965–1969, joining the commissions on Public Works and Housing. He was representative of Chile at the 2nd Inter-American Parliamentary Conference in Washington (1964).

As deputy, he authored bills such as Sunday rest for workers and discounts on travel for students and teachers from remote areas.

In 1969 he was elected senator for Tarapacá and Antofagasta, representing the USOPO. In the Senate, he served on the permanent commissions of National Defense and Government. He was also Chile’s representative at the 3rd Inter-American Parliamentary Conference in Washington (1969).

Pinochet era and return to democracy The 1973 Chilean coup d'état ended his legislative term prematurely with the dissolution of Congress. During the dictatorship, he was president of the USOPO in clandestinity (1976–1979) and a member of the Alianza Democrática (1983–1988). He was a founder of the Party for Democracy (PPD) in December 1987 and of the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia in 1988.

With the return of democracy, he served as advisor to President Patricio Aylwin in 1991 and as chairman of the board of ESSAN in Antofagasta.

Death Ramón Silva Ulloa died in Santiago on 31 October 2004. The Chamber of Deputies paid him homage in November of that year.