Manuel Álvarez Calderón

Manuel Álvarez Calderón Roldán (1852–1935) was a lawyer, teacher, and diplomat, distinct from his father, the senator Manuel Álvarez Calderón Olaechea. Scholarly annotations to Manuel Candamo’s correspondence identify him as Candamo’s brother-in-law and associate in the 1874 campaign against Nicolás de Piérola. During the War of the Pacific he traveled to the United States. A contemporary profile later recalled his work teaching finance in the Faculty of Political Sciences and his legal practice before diplomacy became his principal occupation. ^{1, 2, 3}

As minister in Washington, Álvarez Calderón promoted Peru to American investors. The editors of Candamo’s correspondence identify a publication he issued in 1903 presenting the country’s economic prospects. He also represented Peru at the Second International Conference of American States in Mexico, signing the January 1902 treaty on arbitration of pecuniary claims. ^{2, 4}

His subsequent assignments included Cuba, Chile, Belgium, and Switzerland. The contemporary Mundial profile describes his transfer from Washington to Santiago for the difficult task of restoring representation and pursuing negotiations with Chile. In his 1905 message to Congress, President José Pardo identified Álvarez Calderón as the plenipotentiary appointed to continue talks concerning Tacna and Arica. ^{6, 3, 5}

He died in Lima on 23 July 1935, aged eighty-three. His interests included education and music. ^{6, 1}