Tacna Province (Chile)

Controversy over Tarata

In 1885 Chile integrated Tarata into the province, becoming in 1911 the Tarata Department, under the pretext that the town was to the east of the Sama river. Peru, however, did not recognize this annexation on the grounds that the territory was completely unaffected by the Treaty of Ancón.^{[23][24][25][26][15]} Around this time, raids by Peruvian smugglers as well as soldiers took place in the region,^{[27][28][29][30][31]} and there were also rumours of war, including unfounded claims of Peru mobilizing troops against the Chilean border, which were denied on more than one occasion.^[32][33][34] In 1921, however, Chile abolished the department, and in 1925, amid plebiscite-related protests,^[35] gave the city back to Peru^[36][37] under the mediation of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who enforced the limits agreed upon on the north, which did not include the city. Coolidge showed himself to be in favor of the Peruvian claims on several occasions during the duration of the dispute, more so than other heads of state.^[38] 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.^[39][40] Francisco Tudela y Varela became involved in the issue during his time serving as foreign minister from 1917 to 1918.^[15]

On 23 April 1921, measles in epidemic form was reported in the province, as well as neighboring Antofagasta, occurring among troops. At the same time, smallpox was reported present.^[41][42]

Plebiscitary efforts

A plebiscitary commission operated from August 1925 to June 1926, based in the port city of Arica. The Peruvians were headquartered at the steamer Ucayali, from where La Voz del Sur (a supplementary newspaper of La Prensa) was also edited.^[43] The Americans were headquartered at the USS Rochester, and the Chileans at the O'Higgins and Condell ships of the Chilean Navy. Violent incidents increased again in 1926 due to the incoming plebiscite, which took place in the context of renewed plebiscitary campaigns by both countries.^[43] On March 8, Peru proposed that the plebiscite be posponed, which was ratified by the American delegation a few days later.^[43]

Reincorporation to Peru

On 3 June 1929, the Treaty of Lima was signed by then Peruvian Representative Pedro José Rada y Gamio and Chilean Representative Emiliano Figueroa Larrain, leading to the effective return of Tacna to Peru at midnight, on 28 August 1929, creating the Department of Tacna, and Arica being integrated into Tarapacá Province, ending the existence of the Chilean Province of Tacna.

The handover had no official ceremony, with some Chilean officials temporarily staying behind to assist Peru regarding the new administration. Nevertheless, the return of the territory was met with celebrations in Peru, with President Augusto B. Leguía overseeing a military parade in Lima, and church bells ringing in celebration. Some Chilean citizens who had remained following the handover asked to be repatriated.^[44]

List of intendants

Subdivisions

The province was divided into three departments, themselves divided into communes:

• Arica (Arica)
• Tacna (Tacna)
• Tarata (Tarata)

Of these departments, Tarata served as a contentious point of the dispute due to disagreements over the provisional boundary. The towns of Tarata and Ticaco were affected by the overlapping claims, with the Ticalaco, a tributary of the Sama River, serving as the de facto boundary.^[46] Additionally, another dispute affected the area of Chilcaya (or Surire), which Chile considered to be under the administration of Tarapacá Province, while Peru considered it to be part of its province of Arica.^[47]

Education

The Liceo de Tacna [es] operated in the city of the same name during this period. Salvador Allende, who would later serve as president of Chile, studied at the school.^[51]

Notable people

• Salvador Allende Gossens, Chilean politician and president from 1970 to 1973. He and his family lived in Tacna from 1909 to 1916.
• Jorge Basadre Grohmann, Peruvian historian known for his extensive publications about the independent history of his country.
• Jorge Flores Torres [es], Peruvian general and politician.
• Federico Hurtado Alcázar [es], Peruvian general and politician.
• Arturo Jiménez Borja, Peruvian physician, ethnologist, painter and writer.
• José Jiménez Borja [es], Peruvian linguist, critic and educator.
• Roberto MacLean y Estenós [es], Peruvian sociologist, lawyer and politician.
• Lautaro Murúa Herrera, Chilean–Argentinian actor, film director and screenwriter.
• Victorio Pescio Vargas [es], Chilean lawyer and jurist.
• Olga Poblete y Poblete, Chilean feminist, historian, educator and academic.
• Gastón Pons Muzzo, Peruvian chemist and educator.
• Gustavo Pons Muzzo [es], Peruvian historian and educator.
• Luis Valente Rossi, Chilean mathematician, educator and Communist politician.
• Ida Vivado Orsini, Chilean pianist and composer.
• Roberto Wachholtz Araya, Chilean engineer and politician.