José María Sepúlveda

José María Sepúlveda
General Director of Carabineros de Chile
In office
3 November 1970 – 11 September 1973
PresidentSalvador Allende
Preceded byVicente Huerta
Succeeded byCésar Mendoza
Minister of Lands and Colonization
In office
9 August 1973 – 11 September 1973
PresidentSalvador Allende
Preceded byRoberto Cuéllar
Succeeded byDiego Barba Valdés
Personal details
Born(1917-08-25)25 August 1917
Died9 October 1988(1988-10-09) (aged 71)
PartyIndependent Popular Action (API)
Alma materEscuela de Carabineros de Chile
ProfessionPolice officer
Military service
Branch/serviceCarabineros de Chile
RankGeneral

José María Sepúlveda Galindo (25 August 1917 – 9 October 1988) was a Chilean police officer and politician. He served as General Director of Carabineros de Chile from 3 November 1970 until the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, when he was removed from office and imprisoned after refusing to resign.[1][2]

He also briefly served as Minister of Lands and Colonization between 9 August and 11 September 1973, under President Salvador Allende.[3]

Police career

Born in Curicó, Sepúlveda entered the Escuela de Carabineros de Chile in 1936 as a cadet.[4] He rose through the ranks, becoming director of the academy in 1965 and a general in 1967. On 3 November 1970, President Allende appointed him General Director of Carabineros.

In 1971 he was named “Illustrious Son” of Curicó and received the Order of Merit of the Peruvian Civil Guard.[5]

During the coup of 11 September 1973, he was in La Moneda Palace, refusing to resign despite pressure from the new junta and from his designated successor, General César Mendoza. After the coup, he was dismissed, arrested, and retired by force.

He lived away from public life until his death in Santiago on 9 October 1988, at the age of 71.

Promotions in Carabineros

  • 1936: Cadet
  • 1938: Second lieutenant
  • 1940: Lieutenant
  • 1950: Captain
  • 1957: Major
  • 1961: Lieutenant colonel
  • 1964: Colonel
  • 1967: Brigadier General (subinspector)
  • 1968: Inspector General
  • 1970: General Director

References

  1. ^ "Sociales, Charla, Retiro, In memoriam". El Mercurio. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  2. ^ Agnic Krstulovic, Ozren (2006). Pinochet S.A.: la base de la fortuna. ISBN 978-956-284-521-2.
  3. ^ Valencia Aravia, Luis (1986). Anales de la República: registros de los ciudadanos que han integrado los Poderes Ejecutivo y Legislativo. Santiago, Chile: Editorial Andrés Bello.
  4. ^ "El curicano que vivió el Golpe de Estado junto a Salvador Allende en La Moneda". Vivimos la noticia (in Spanish). 11 September 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  5. ^ "El general curicano que acompañó a Allende en La Moneda". Litoralpress (in Spanish). 19 January 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2022.