Tarata Department (Chile)

Tarata Departament
Departamento de Tarata
Department of Chile
Flag of Tarata Departament

Tarata Department within Tacna Province
CapitalTarata
Area
 • Coordinates17°28′28.67″S 70°1′57″W / 17.4746306°S 70.03250°W / -17.4746306; -70.03250
Historical eraAftermath of the War of the Pacific
20 October 1883
• Established
1911
• Disestablished
1921
• Return to Peru
1 September 1925
Subdivisions
 • TypeCommunes
 • UnitsTarata
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Tacna Department
Tacna Department
Today part ofPeru

The Tarata Department was a territorial division of Chile that existed between 1911 and 1921. Its territory comprised some controversial territory east of Sama River.

History

In 1885, after the Chilean victory in the War of the Pacific, Chile integrated Tarata into the Tacna Department of the newly formed Tacna Province. The Department was officially created under president Ramón Barros' administration on December 2, 1911, under law № 2,575, published in the Chilean Diario Oficial newspaper.[1][2] The Department's territory was composed of the 8th and 9th subdelegaciones of Tacna Department. The comune of Tarata was chosen as its capital, and some parts of its administration, such as its judicial administration, were shared with nearby Arica Department.[2] Ticalaco River served as its northern boundary.[3]

The creation of the Department caused controversy in Peru, due to both countries disagreeing on their border in the Sama river. While the Chilean government argued the town was to the east of the river, the border agreed upon by both countries, Peru disputed this claim on the grounds that the territory was not affected by the Treaty of Ancón and sent representative Carlos Maria Elías to protest the situation, also establishing a policy of non-recognition.[4][5][6][7] Around this time, raids by Peruvian smugglers as well as soldiers took place in the region,[8][9][10][11][12] and there were also claims of military escalation, including claims of Peruvian troops mobilizing near the Chilean border, which were denied by the Peruvian government.[13][14][15] U.S. President Calvin Coolidge mediated the dispute in Peru's favor in 1925, more so than other heads of state.[16] Around the same time, a commission, headed by U.S. General John J. Pershing arrived to assist with the planned Tacna-Arica plebiscite, which eventually would never take place.[17][18]

The Department was abolished under Arturo Alessandri's administration by law № 3,802 on September 22, 1921.[19] On September 1, 1925, at exactly 10 a.m., Chile handed over the former Department to Peru in a ceremony that took place in the main square, with representatives from both countries present: with Agustín Edwards Budge [es] representing Chile, Manuel de Freyre y Santander representing Peru, and General Pershing representing the United States.[20][21][22]

Administration

The Municipality of Tacna oversaw the administration of the department of Tacna, including Tarata, with its headquarters located in Tacna, where the Departmental Government, and the Provincial Intendancy were located.

With the Decree of Creation of Municipalities of December 22, 1891, the following municipalities were created with their headquarters and whose territories are the sub-delegations detailed below:

Municipality Sub-delegations
Tarata (1891-1925)
Tarata
Pocollai
Pachía
Palca
Tarata
Sama
Calana

See also

References

  1. ^ Guía administrativa, industrial y comercial de las provincias de Tacna, Tarapacá y Antofagasta (in Spanish). Imprenta y Encuadernación "Chile". 1913. p. 58.
  2. ^ a b "LEY 2575 — CREA EL DEPARTAMENTO DE TARATA EN LA PROVINCIA DE TACNA I FIJA EL PERSONAL DE EMPLEADOS QUE DEBE TENER". Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. 1911-12-02.
  3. ^ González Miranda, Sergio; Ovando Santana, Cristian (2017). "Sama y Camarones: "Las fronteras que no fueron entre Perú y Chile"" (PDF). Rev. Geogr. Norte Gd. (66): 61–82. doi:10.4067/S0718-34022017000100005.
  4. ^ "PERU DEMANDS CHILE SETTLE PROVINCE DISPUTE". Providence News. 2 Jan 1922.
  5. ^ "Bolivian Bid Meets New Parley Rebuff". Newark Sunday Call. 1922-05-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  6. ^ "Peru Renews Demands That Chilean Issue Be Given to Arbitration". The Deseret News. 2 Jan 1922.
  7. ^ "PERU'S DETERMINED BID FOR A SLICE OF SHIPPING". Boston Evening Transcript. 11 Nov 1911.
  8. ^ "CHILE IS ANGRY". Mansfield Daily Shield. 21 Mar 1908.
  9. ^ "PERUVIANS INVADE CHILE.; Search Houses in Tacna Province After Pursuing Smugglers". The New York Times. 1908-03-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  10. ^ "Want Peru To Explain". The Pittsburgh Press. 21 Mar 1908.
  11. ^ "CHILEANS AFTER PERUVIANS". The Evening Independent. 21 Mar 1908.
  12. ^ "Ecos de Sud-América". Diario del Hogar. 22 Mar 1908.
  13. ^ "General News". The Free Lance. Dec 20, 1921.
  14. ^ "Opiniones de un General Chileno sobre la probabilidad de otra guerra con el Perú". El Tiempo. 2 Jun 1911.
  15. ^ "INFORMACION CABLEGRAFICA". El Tiempo. 28 Nov 1925.
  16. ^ "American Boundary Lines". Ottawa Citizen. Apr 15, 1925.
  17. ^ "CHILE TURNS OVER STATE". Youngstown Vindicator. 3 Sep 1925.
  18. ^ "Tacna-Arica People Must Determine Themselves Chileans or Peruvians". Schenectady Gazette. 10 Mar 1925.
  19. ^ "LEI NUM. 3,802, QUE SUPRIME EL DEPARTAMENTO DE TARATA". Congress of Chile. 1921-09-22.
  20. ^ "LA ACTITUD DEL PERU ANTE LA RESPUESTA DE MR. COOLIDGE". El Tiempo. 14 Apr 1925.
  21. ^ "EL GOBIERNO DE CHILE DA DE BAJA A OCHO GENERALES Y CINCO CORONELES". El Tiempo. 16 Apr 1925.
  22. ^ El representante del gobierno de Chile hizo entrega ayer del Departamento de Tarata al representante peruano (PDF). La Nación. 1925.