Carlos Quiñones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carlos Quiñones López (24 August 1927 – 11 August 2019) was a Chilean naval officer and naval engineer who reached the rank of Rear Admiral in the Chilean Navy. He served as Minister of Mining between 1978 and 1980 during the Pinochet regime.[1]
Carlos Quiñones | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Mining | |
| In office 26 December 1978 – 29 December 1980 | |
| President | Augusto Pinochet |
| Preceded by | Luis Valenzuela Blanquier |
| Succeeded by | José Piñera Echenique |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 August 1927 |
| Died | 11 August 2019 (aged 91) |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Anita Morin Cevallos
(m. 1954) |
| Children | Patricia Cecilia; Carlos Alfonso; Gonzalo Alberto |
| Parent(s) | Luis Enrique Quiñones; María Mercedes López |
| Alma mater |
|
| Profession | Naval engineer; Military officer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Chilean Navy |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
Early life and naval career
Quiñones was born in Lautaro and entered the Arturo Prat Naval Academy in 1943, graduating as guardiamarina in 1947.[1] He specialised in naval engineering, completing further studies in mechanical and electrical systems and later earning a Master of Science in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[1]
Throughout his naval career he held a range of technical and command posts, including assignments in ship construction, naval maintenance, and engineering planning in the facilities of Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada (ASMAR). He rose steadily through the ranks and was promoted to captain in 1973 and rear admiral in 1979.[1]
During the early years following the 1973 military coup, he performed administrative and logistical functions in the Valparaíso region and later served in technical leadership roles within the Navy's service branches.[1]
Minister of Mining
On 26 December 1978, Quiñones was appointed Minister of Mining under the Pinochet regime.[1] In office he presided over the boards of the state-owned companies Codelco, Empresa Nacional de Minería (ENAMI) and Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP).
Significant developments during his tenure included:
- declaring lithium a “national interest resource” (Decree Law 2886), which later shaped Chile's lithium-mining framework;[2]
- expanding offshore oil and gas exploration programs in southern Chile.
Quiñones left the ministry in December 1980 and retired from the Navy shortly thereafter.
Later activities
After retirement he served as Chilean delegate in various international ocean-policy forums, including the United Nations Law of the Sea meetings.[1] He worked as an engineering consultant for both public and private entities—primarily in mining, petroleum, and naval construction—and collaborated with academic and scientific institutions in marine geology and ocean-mining research.
Quiñones was affiliated with several professional organisations, including Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA).[1]
He died in Viña del Mar on 11 August 2019 at age 91.
Selected work
- Autobiografía de un ingeniero y arquitecto naval (2008).[1]