Chilean Civil War

The Chilean Civil War began when conflict between President José Manuel Balmaceda and Congress made it impossible to agree a lawful budget for 1891. Congressional leaders, supported by much of the navy and powerful nitrate interests, formed a rival authority, while the army largely remained with the president.

The fighting moved from the nitrate provinces of the north toward central Chile. Congressional victory at Concón and Placilla opened the way to Valparaíso and Santiago. Balmaceda sought refuge in the Argentine legation and died by suicide on 19 September 1891, ending the presidential regime and beginning a period of stronger parliamentary control.

My Name Is Emilia del Valle sends a San Francisco journalist to report the war, making the conflict both a professional test and a route into her Chilean ancestry. Portrait in Sepia also touches the political and family divisions surrounding the crisis.