Ernesto Balmaceda Bello
Ernesto Balmaceda | |
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| Born | February 27, 1887 |
| Died | February 24, 1906 (aged 18) |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
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Ernesto Balmaceda Bello (February 27, 1887 – February 24, 1906) was a Chilean diplomat, who was murdered in Belgium in a celebrated case that came to define diplomatic privileges and immunities for the retinue and families of diplomatic staff. He was of Basque descent.[1]
Early life
Ernesto Balmaceda Bello was born on February 27, 1887 in Santiago, to José Rafael del Carmen Balmaceda Fernández, a politician and diplomat, and Ana María Bello Codesido, granddaughter of Andrés Bello.[2][3] Through his father, Balmaceda was the nephew of President José Manuel Balmaceda, and the grandson of landowner and politician Manuel José de Balmaceda Ballesteros.[2] Balmaceda was the paternal and maternal nephew of Emilio Bello Codesido, president of the 1925 Government Junta.[2][4]
Following the completion of his secondary studies, Balmaceda joined the Chilean Foreign Service. In 1905, Balmaceda was appointed secretary to the Don Luis Waddington Urrutia (1859–1927), the charge d'affaires of the Chilean diplomatic delegation in Brussels.[5]
Death
His immediate superior at the consulate in Brussels was charge d'affaires Don Luis Waddington, who had two children: Adelaida and Carlos. Soon after his arrival, Balmaceda started to court Adelaide and shortly thereafter, the parents of the bride-to-be found out that the young couple already had had sexual intercourse. They then demanded that 18-year-old Ernesto become engaged to Adelaide and "redress the wrong done" to her.[6] He admitted his error and accepted the engagement for the time being.
Balmaceda did not want to get married, so he wrote to his family to have himself immediately transferred to another embassy.[7] His family connections managed his transfer to the embassy in the United States, but before he could depart the news leaked, and 16-year-old Carlos Waddington, brother of his bride-to-be started to practice target-shooting in the embassy gardens under his window. Ernesto Balmaceda panicked and on February 24, 1906, the day when the engagement was to be publicly announced at an embassy banquet, he hid in his rooming-house, with his friend Javier Rengifo. Carlos visited him and demanded that he honor his word. When Balmaceda refused, he shot him three times: once in the heart, once in the chest and once in the head.[8]
After the murder, Carlos Waddington fled to the Chilean embassy and claimed diplomatic immunity and extraterritoriality. The Belgian people were incensed at this behavior and surrounded the embassy, bent on capturing Waddington. The police had to establish a constant cordon in order to prevent the mob from violating the building and lynching him.[9] On March 2, Chile waived its rights and ordered Waddington to be handed over to the Belgian police to stand trial.[10]
By the time the trial happened, public opinion had shifted in Waddington's favor, and he was viewed as the avenger of his sister's honor.[11] After a very short trial, he was acquitted on July 6, 1907.[12]
Additional information
See also
References
- ^ "Encuentra aquí información de Historia de Chile para tu escuela ¡Entra ya! | Rincón del Vago". June 26, 2003.
- ^ a b c Jacobs, A. "Affaire Waddington – 1907". Collection communale de Schaerbeek; Inventaire du patrimoine mobilier (in French). Brussels, Belgium: Service public régional Bruxelles Urbanisme & Patrimoine; Association du Patrimoine artistique. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ "José Rafael del Carmen Balmaceda Fernández: Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias". Historia Política; Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias (in Spanish). Valparaíso, Chile: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ "Emilio Bello Codesido: Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias". Historia Política; Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias (in Spanish). Valparaíso, Chile: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Clifton E. (1965). "Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities: The Retinue and Families of the Diplomatic Staff". The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 14 (4): 1265–1295. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ "DIPLOMAT'S SON ON TRIAL FOR MURDER; Justification for Killing by Carlos Waddington Is Contended. UNWRITTEN LAW INVOKED It Is Alleged That Secretary Balmaceda Wronged Miss Waddington and Then Refused to Marry Her". June 25, 1907. Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "DIPLOMAT'S SON DEFENDS CRIME; Waddington Pleads Unwritten Law in Trial for Killing Sister's Betrayer. DUPLICITY OF BALMACEDA Let Arrangements for Announcing Engagement Go On While Scheming to Escape. GIRL'S LOVE LETTERS READ Parents Testify -- Attempt to Blacken Girl's Reputation by Introducing Chilean Gossip". June 30, 1907. Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Cablegram, Special (July 3, 1907). "WADDINGTON CASE READY FOR JURY; Evidence Closed and the Prosecutor Begins His Address in Brussels. SISTER'S LETTER IS READ She Told Balmaceda Her Parents Said They Must Part, but Pledged Undying Love". Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "LYNCHERS BESIEGE LEGATION.; Brussels Mobs Threaten the Chilean Charge's Son". February 26, 1906. Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "GIVES UP DIPLOMAT'S SON.; Chile Waives Her Rights in the Brussels Homicide Case". March 3, 1906. Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Cablegram, Special (July 5, 1907). "SYMPATHY FOR WADDINGTON.; People Demand His Acquittal -- Trial May Finish To-night". Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "WADDINGTON ACQUITTED.; Women Kiss the Avenger of His Sister as He Leaves the Court Room". July 6, 1907. Retrieved March 12, 2025 – via NYTimes.com.
External links
- The New York Times: "SLAIN BY DIPLOMAT'S SON" (February 25, 1906)
- The New York Times: "LYNCHERS BESIEGE LEGATION" (February 26, 1906)
- The New York Times: "GIVES UP DIPLOMAT'S SON" (March 3, 1906)
- The New York Times: "DIPLOMAT'S SON ON TRIAL FOR MURDER" (June 25, 1907)
- The New York Times: "DIPLOMAT'S SON DEFENDS CRIME" (June 30, 1907)
- The New York Times: "PARIS SYMPATHIZES WITH WADDINGTON" (July 1, 1907)
- The New York Times: "WADDINGTON CASE READY FOR JURY" (July 3, 1907)
- The New York Times: "SYMPATHY FOR WADDINGTON" (July 5, 1907)
- The New York Times: "WADDINGTON ACQUITTED" (July 6, 1907)
- The International and Comparative Law Quarterly: "Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities: The Retinue and Families of the Diplomatic Staff" by Clifton E. Wilson (October 1965)
- Brief overview of case, rather biased (in Spanish)
