Manuel Gamboa

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gamboa and the second or maternal family name is Valenzuela.

Manuel Jesús Gamboa Valenzuela (born 7 November 1932) is a Chilean conservative politician who served as deputy, mayor and intendant.^[1][2]

Manuel Gamboa
Intendant of the Maule Region
In office 1988–1990
Appointed by	Augusto Pinochet
Mayor of Talca
In office 1978–1988
Preceded by	Eduardo Sepúlveda
Succeeded by	Germán Verdugo
Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile
In office 15 May 1973 – 11 September 1973
Succeeded by	1973 coup
Constituency	23rd Provincial Group
Personal details
Born	(1932-11-07) 7 November 1932 (age 92) Osorno, Chile
Political party	National Party (PN)
Spouse	Marina Letelier
Children	Six
Occupation	Politician

Biography

He began his political activities in 1950 when he joined the Youth of the Conservative Party, where he remained until 1966, the year he began his membership in the newly formed National Party.

In 1967, he was elected alderman for Pencahue, a municipality historically with a very limited budget. Thanks to his personal efforts, and through private financing, a fully equipped ambulance was imported from the United States—something unthinkable at the time. He held the position until 1971.

In 1971, during the Popular Unity government, he was elected alderman for Talca. He obtained the second-highest individual vote in the municipality and, because of that, he achieved being elected as a deputy in the 1973 Chilean parliamentary election.

Under Pinochet regime, he continued in public service and was appointed mayor of Talca in 1978, serving until December 1988. His administration was marked by key works such as the city's bus terminal (1981), the Regional Supply Center (CREA) and later the Wholesale Agricultural Market. He also promoted the construction of the Regional Gymnasium, implemented lighting at the Fiscal Stadium for televised events, developed over 20 hectares of green areas, and eradicated informal housing by providing permanent solutions.

Between 1988 and 1990, he was appointed Regional Intendant. In parallel, in 1980, he participated as Chilean delegate in the Latin American Congress of Municipalities held in Montevideo, Uruguay.