Ministry of Public Works (Chile)

The Ministry of Public Works (Spanish: Ministerio de Obras Públicas) is the cabinet-level administrative office in charge of "planning, directing, controlling and building the public infrastructure, as well as the conservation and management of them"[citation needed] within Chile. It is also responsible for the "management, distribution, use and conservation"[citation needed] of all the water resources within the country. They answer directly to the President of Chile.

Since 19 May 2026, the Minister of Public Works is Louis de Grange. Since 11 March 2026, the Undersecretary of Public Works is Nicolás Balmaceda.

History

The office was first created by law of 21 June 1887, under President José Manuel Balmaceda as the Ministry of Industry and Public Works. Since then it has undergone several reorganizations during its history, reflected in its different names:

Titulars

Ministers of Industry and Public Works

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Pedro Montt Montt 28 June 1887 13 April 1888 José Manuel Balmaceda
Vicente Dávila Larraín 13 April 1888 2 November 1888
Prudencio Lazcano 2 November 1888 21 January 1889
Enrique Sanfuentes 21 January 1889 1 May 1889
Jorge Riesco Errázuriz 1 May 1889 23 October 1889
Ramón Barros Luco 23 October 1889 7 November 1889
José Miguel Valdés 7 November 1889 7 August 1890
Macario Vial 7 August 1890 15 October 1890
Eulogio Allendes 15 October 1890 6 December 1890
Guillermo Mackenna Serrano 6 December 1890 29 March 1891
Nicanor Ugalde 29 March 1891 29 August 1891
Agustín Edwards Ross 7 September 1891 14 March 1892 Appointed by Revolutionary Junta of Iquique
Reappointed by Jorge Montt Álvarez
Jorge Riesco Errázuriz 14 March 1892 11 June 1892
Vicente Dávila Larraín 11 June 1892 1894
Manuel Antonio Prieto 1894 1894
Elías Fernández 1894 1895
Juan Miguel Dávila 1895 1895
Elías Fernández 1895 18 September 1896
Francisco Baeza 18 September 1896 1896 Federico Errázuriz Echaurren
Francisco Valdés 1896 1897
Belisario Prats Bello 1897 1897
Domingo de Toro 1897 1897
Emilio Orrego Luco 1897 1897
Julio Bañados 1897 1898
Emilio Bello 1898 1898
Arturo Alessandri 1898 1899
Daniel Rioseco 1899 2 September 1899
Gregorio Pinochet 2 September 1899 died 28 October 1899 Died in office
Florencio Valdés 30 October 1899 1900
Abraham Gacitúa 1900 1900
Rafael Orrego 1900 1900
Manuel Covarrubias 1900 1901
José Ramón Nieto 1901 1901
Joaquín Fernández 1901 18 September 1901 Appointed by
Reappointed by Aníbal Zañartu
Ismael Tocornal 18 September 1901 1901 Germán Riesco Errázuriz
Rafael Orrego 1901 1902
Joaquín Villarino 5 May 1902 1902
Agustín Gana 1902 1903
Francisco Rivas Vicuña 1903 1903
Maximiliano Espinosa 1903 1903
Manuel Espinosa 1903 12 May 1904
Carlos Ávalos 12 May 1904 1 June 1904
Francisco Valdés 1 June 1904 1904
Anfión Muñoz 1904 1904
Eduardo Charme 1904 1905
Enrique Villegas 1905 1905
José Ramón Gutiérrez 1905 1906
Ramón Vergara Donoso 1906 1906
Abraham Ovalle 1906 18 September 1906
Eduardo Charme 18 September 1906 29 October 1906 Pedro Montt
Carlos Ávalos 29 October 1906 7 November 1906
Anselmo Hevia 7 November 1906 1907
Gonzalo Urrejola 1907 1907
Joaquín Figueroa 1908 1908
Guillermo Echavarría 29 August 1908 22 January 1909
Manuel Espinosa Jara 22 January 1909 15 June 1909
Pedro García de la Huerta 15 June 1909 15 September 1909
Eduardo Délano 15 September 1909 25 June 1910

Ministers of Industry, Public Works and Railroads

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Fidel Muñoz Rodríguez 25 June 1910 10 November 1910 Appointed by Pedro Montt
Reappointed by Elías Fernández Albano
Reappointed by Emiliano Figueroa
Beltrán Mathieu Andrews 10 November 1910 23 December 1910
Ismael Valdés Vergara 23 December 1910 1911 Ramón Barros Luco
Javier Gandarillas Matta 1911 1911
Enrique Zañartu Prieto 1911 1912
Abraham Ovalle Ovalle 1912 1912
Belfor Fernández 1912 1912
Oscar Viel Cavero 1912 1913
Enrique Zañartu Prieto 1913 1914
Absalón Valencia 1914 1914
Julio Garcés 1914 1914
Cornelio Saavedra Montt 1914 1915
Fernando Freire 1915 1915
Pedro Iñiguez Larraín 1915 23 December 1915
Roberto Guzmán Montt 23 December 1915 1916 Juan Luis Sanfuentes
Angel Guarello Costa 1916 1916
Justiniano Sotomayor Guzmán 1916 1916
Ramón León Luco 1916 1917
Alberto González Errázuriz 1917 1917
Malaquías Concha Ortiz 1917 1918
Francisco Landa Zárate 1918 1918
Ramón Briones 1918 1918
Francisco Landa Zárate 1918 1918
Vicente Villalobos 1918 1919
Manuel O'Ryan Carrasco 1919 1919
Malaquías Concha Ortiz 1919 1919
Oscar Dávila Izquierdo 1919 1920
Malaquías Concha Ortiz 1920 1920
Armando Jaramillo Valderrama 1920 23 December 1920
Zenón Torrealba 23 December 1920 1921 Arturo Alessandri
Artemio Gutiérrez 1921 1921
Armando Jaramillo Valderrama 1921 1922
Pedro Fajardo 1922 1922
Miguel Letelier Espínola 1922 1922
Absalón Valencia 1922 1923
Robinson Paredes 1923 1923
Vicente Villalobos 1923 1923
Juan Vargas Márquez 1923 1923
Francisco Mardones Otaíza 1923 1924
Vicente Villalobos 1924 1924
Robinson Paredes 1924 1924
Guillermo Bañados 1924 1924
Ángel Guarello 1924 1924

Ministers of Public Works and Roads

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Oscar Dávila Izquierdo 11 September 1924 19 December 1924 September Junta
Luis Molina Gómez 19 December 1924 23 January 1925
Francisco Mardones Otaíza 29 January 1925 27 August 1925 Appointed by January Junta
Reappointed by Arturo Alessandri
Gustavo Lira Manso 27 August 1925 2 October 1925

Ministers of Public Works, Commerce and Communication Roads

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Alejandro García Castelblanco 2 October 1925 23 December 1925 Arturo Alessandri
Angel Guarello Costa 23 December 1925 20 November 1926 Emiliano Figueroa
Julio Velasco 20 November 1926 23 May 1927
Juan Emilio Ortiz 23 May 1927 6 September 1927 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Enrique Balmaceda Toro 6 September 1927 29 September 1927 Interim

Ministers of Foment

Picture Name Entered office Exited office Notes Appointed by
Adolfo Ibáñez Boggiano 29 September 1927 22 February 1929 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Conrado Ríos Gallardo 22 February 1929 24 February 1929 Interim
Luis Schmidt Quezada 24 February 1929 23 August 1929
Emiliano Bustos 23 August 1929 23 July 1930
Edecio Torreblanca 23 July 1930 29 August 1930
Luis Matte Larraín 29 August 1930 27 November 1930
Edecio Torreblanca 27 November 1930 13 July 1931
Francisco Cereceda Cisternas 13 July 1931 21 July 1931
Alejandro García Castelblanco 23 July 1931 26 July 1931
Luis Gutiérrez Alliende 26 July 1931 27 July 1931 Pedro Opazo
Francisco Cereceda Cisternas 27 July 1931 21 August 1931 Appointed by Juan Esteban Montero
Reappointed by Manuel Trucco
Luis Alamos Barros 21 August 1931 3 September 1931
Enrique Matta Figueroa 3 September 1931 15 November 1931 Appointed by
Reappointed by Juan Esteban Montero
Herman Echeverría 15 November 1931 7 April 1932
Marco Antonio de la Cuadra 7 April 1932 4 June 1932
Víctor Navarrete Senn 5 June 1932 13 September 1932 Appointed by Government Junta of Chile (1932)
Reappointed by Carlos Dávila
Gustavo Lira Manso 14 September 1932 2 October 1932 Bartolomé Blanche
Miguel Chamorro Araya 3 October 1932 24 December 1932 Abraham Oyanedel
Alfredo Piwonka 24 December 1932 9 May 1933 Arturo Alessandri
Domingo Santa María Sánchez 9 May 1933 31 October 1933
Matías Silva Sepúlveda 31 October 1933 12 September 1936
Luis Alamos Barros 12 September 1936 26 May 1937
Ricardo Bascuñán Stonner 26 May 1937 24 December 1938
Arturo Bianchi Gundián 24 December 1938 25 December 1939 Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Oscar Schnake 25 December 1939 16 December 1941 Appointed by
Reappointed by Jerónimo Méndez
Rolando Meriño Reyes 16 December 1941 2 April 1942
Oscar Schnake 2 April 1942 1942 Juan Antonio Ríos

Ministry of Public Words (1974–present)

Minister Start End Party President
Martín Arrau 11 March 2026 19 May 2026 Republican José Antonio Kast
Louis de Grange 19 May 2026 Incumbent Ind.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Troncoso, Jaime (20 May 2026). "Louis de Grange, el técnico del transporte que suma Obras Públicas tras salida de Martín Arrau". Ex-Ante (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Directorio de Autoridades". mop.gob.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2026.

Sources