Summary
Thursday, January 4, 1945
Construction of the new Route 5 toll highway began today at a site just south of Santiago.
Monday, January 8, 1945 - Bolivia
President René Salinas's land reform law came into effect today despite worries from national conservatives that it would result in major disruptions to the nation's agricultural sector. The law results in the re-distribution of land away from large landowners to the lower class.
Friday, January 12, 1945
Jorge Castro was sworn in today at the La Moneda Palace in Santiago as the new President of Chile. The now-retired president Edmond Vizcarra declared that he intended to spend the next few months at his ranch near Punta Arenas, flying his private plane, tending to his horses, and writing a new novel.
Sunday, January 21, 1945
The visiting German squadron under Admiral Langsdorff departed Talcahuano today following a successful visit to the Chilean naval base.
Monday, January 22, 1945
The Pressed Steel Company, part of the British Neuffield Group, began manufacturing operations from a temporary new facility in southern Santiago. The firm will assemble vehicles for the South American market.
Wednesday, January 31, 1945
The Ejercito de Chile placed a confirmed order with Yugoslavian armaments manufacturers for the M41 anti-tank rocket launcher.
Monday, February 19, 1945
The Antarctic Research Consortium (ARC) announced that three individuals, including Chilean antarctic explorer Agusto Pinochet, would be remaining at the ARC base at the South Pole for the duration of the southern winter.
Friday, February 23, 1945
Rumors from Lima indicate that a coup has been initiated by the Peruvian military, following a period of rising criticisms about the current Galvez-led government. In a short press release provided late in the evening, President Castro indicated that Chilean military commanders in the Arica region had been informed and ordered to a higher state of alert as a precautionary measure, but did not anticipate any conflict. A LAN Chile Lockheed Constellation, flying from Panama to Santiago with a fuel stop in Lima, reportedly encountered a four-hour refueling delay before it was cleared to proceed. The President made no further comments about the rumored coup, noting that the scarcity of good information made it unclear what was actually occurring. Finally, any Chilean citizens visiting in Peru are encouraged to exercise caution in their travels, and contact the French or German embassies in Lima for assistance.
Tuesday, February 27, 1945
A platoon of the CBSAR Territorial Army patrolling the road into the CBSAR capital of Potosi beat off an attempted ambush by a small party of guerrillas. According to Chilean Army spokesman Mattias Santana, four guerrillas attempted to ambush a three-truck convoy returning a platoon of Special Territorial Forces back to their base in Potosi following a training exercise in the mountains. The guerrillas disabled the lead truck with grenades, minorly wounding the driver and five other men. The occupants of the other two trucks swiftly responded with rifle grenades and machine gun fire, killing one of the guerrillas. A pursuit on foot resulted in the capture of two more guerrillas, although the fourth, believed to be a woman, escaped when dusk fell.
Wednesday, February 28, 1945
Five days after a military coup that pushed the elected Galvez-Baylon government out of power in Peru, the Chilean government officially commented on the issue. Although officially condemning the military's dismissal of the democratic process, Santiago acknowledged that the Peruvian congress had largely ceased to function in the last few weeks before the coup. No information is available about President Galvez or Prime Minister Baylon, who are rumored to have been disposed of by the military plotters, or possibly fled the country.
Thursday, March 1, 1945
The Chilean Air Force officially confirmed that it had acquired a German Arado Ar234 jet aircraft, currently assigned to photo-reconnaissance duties. The plane, delivered to Chile as a demonstrator, was purchased rather than being shipped back to Europe. Reporters asked if the aircraft was responsible for last year's rumoured appearance of a "secret ENAER-built jet", and Air Force chief-of-staff General Benjamin Kreutzberger confirmed that the Arado was in fact the source of those rumors. It is currently believed to be the first and only jet-powered aircraft operating in South America, although Argentina and the South African Empire are expected to field jets in the very near future. When asked if the Chilean Air Force intends to acquire further jet aircraft, Kreutzberger stated "there is the future - we shall undoubtedly buy more when the time is right."
Monday, March 19, 1945
The new heavy cruiser Almirante Latorre completed today at the ASMAR shipyards in Talcahuano, with the shipyard officially handing the ship over to the Armada to begin sea trials. The first of her class of two, the Latorre carries powerful and fast-firing 7.5" guns designed and built by Canadian Vickers.
Monday, March 26, 1945
President Castro selected General del Ejercito Agustín Sommermeier to accede to the post of commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army. General Sommermeier will also fill one of the nine seats on the Cosena (National Security Council).
Friday, April 27, 1945
Fourth annual Campeonato Nacional de Rodeo opened this weekend in Rancagua, with sixty-four contestants and a sold-out stadium of forty-four thousand spectators. Presidente Jorge Castro and former president Edmond Vizcarra both attended the show as spectators, with the former president cheering on rider Luis Charro, a fellow native of Tierra del Fuego. It is the former president's first public appearance since leaving office in January.
Tuesday, May 8, 1945
The Chilean State Railways (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado) indicated today that they would not be seeking to switch immediately from steam locomotives to the newer, 'more modern' diesel-electric engines, at least at the present time. Railway officials indicated the decision was due to the need to import diesel fuel from abroad, whereas inexpensive coal supplies could be acquired locally. The railroad's chief operating officer speculated that a switch to diesel-electric locomotives could eventually pay for itself due to easier operation and maintenance costs, but the cost savings on that count was currently insufficient to counterbalance other important factors. However, electric-only operation, particularly on the mainlines, shall continue.
Monday, May 14, 1945
The Nachipa shipping company (Naviera Chilena del Pacífico Ltd) officially took delivery of their new steamship Algarrobo today.
Friday, June 15, 1945
The newly-formed Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (Latin America Social Science Institute) opened an office on the campus of the University of Valparaiso.
Monday, July 23, 1945
ENAER announced that apprentice aeronautical engineer Friedrich von Ahrens has been promoted to the rank of "Junior Engineer" prior to his upcoming work assignment in Europe. The young von Ahrens, the nephew of ENAER's chief aeronautical designer Alexander von Ahrens, has previously worked in various roles on the design of aircraft such as the ENAER Alicanto and the ENAER Zafiro. Following his promotion to Junior Engineer, von Ahrens will be travelling to Germany to serve as a technical observer and liaison at Focke-Wulf.
Thursday, August 16, 1945
Valdivia entrepreneur Elías Cárdenas, noted for his ownership of seafood-algae producer Compañía para la Producción y Exportación de Algas or PREXAL, has recently expanded his business holdings through his purchase of 35% stock holdings in the Sociedad Industrial de San Fernando, a construction machinery manufacturer in San Fernando.
Wednesday, September 26, 1945
Earlier this year, Bolivian President René Salinas's land reform law came into effect, redistributing land from large landowners into the hands of peasant farmers. The new law severely hurt large landowners, some of whom lost over 95% of their property without compensation.
Also hard-hit were the Mennonite colonies who had started settling in the Bolivian lowlands. These German-speaking farmers first came to Bolivia from Russia and North America in order to maintain their religious and cultural identity, being promised autonomy and exemption from mandatory military service. La Paz's broken promises have resulted in many Mennonite families in Bolivia taking advantage of an offer to settle in the Magellanes region of Chile. In the last six months, a new Mennonite colony on the shores of Lago General Carrera has already drawn two hundred immigrants driven out of Bolivia by the new Salinas administration.
Monday, October 1, 1945
Chilean Navy light cruiser Picunches was turned over to ASMAR shipyards today for a comprehensive refit, intended to completely modernize the vessel. Currently one of the oldest cruisers in the Chilean fleet, Picunches will receive a modernized air-defense armament as well as a new dradis radio-detection and fire-control suite.
In other naval news, the Armada announced plans for a new class of antiaircraft cruisers to replace the antiquated Astraea and Concepción classes. The first two ships in the class, to be named Araucanía and Los Lagos, will be laid down in January.
Friday, October 5, 1945
Valparaiso playwright Ignacio Cassab presided over the opening of his latest work, Marcoleta.
Tuesday, October 30, 1945
A mild earthquake occurred in the Antofagasta region of Chile, with an epicenter near the town of Diego de Almagro, north of Copiapo. No casualties have been reported and damage is believed to be minor.
Wednesday, November 7, 1945
Ground-breaking ceremonies were held today for a new natural gas fired power plant in Concepcion. Approximately half of the electricity to be produced by the plant is earmarked for the Aluchile aluminium smelter, which shall process raw bauxite imported from Brazil and Canada. The power plant shall complete in August 1947.
Thursday, November 15, 1945
Gabriela Mistral becomes the fifth woman (and the first Latin American) to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. She will receive the award in December 10th in Stockholm.
Thursday, December 6, 1945
Representatives of the Chilean Army departed for Altmärkische Kettenwerk to take delivery of the latest Aufklärungspanzer Luchs armoured vehicles, currently being delivered to the Ejercito. A hundred vehicles, to be designated the M46 Lince in Chilean service, have been ordered for the Army's use.