José Toribio Merino
| José Toribio Merino | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy | |
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In office September 11, 1973 – March 11, 1990 |
|
| Preceded by | Raúl Montero |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Martínez Busch |
| President of the Government Junta of Chile | |
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In office December 17, 1974 – March 11, 1990 Serving with Augusto Pinochet (December 17, 1974 – March 11, 1981) |
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| Preceded by | Augusto Pinochet |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 14, 1915 La Serena, Chile |
| Died | August 30, 1996 (aged 80) Viña del Mar, Chile |
| Spouse(s) | Margarita Riofrío |
| Children | 3 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Chile
|
| Service/branch | Chilean Navy |
| Years of service | 1936-1990 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
José Toribio Merino Castro (December 14, 1915 – August 30, 1996) was a Chilean admiral who was one of the principal leaders of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, along with General Augusto Pinochet of the Army, General Gustavo Leigh of the Air Force, and General César Mendoza of the Carabineros (national police). Together they established a military government that ruled Chile from 1973 until 1990.
Born in La Serena, he was son of Vice Admiral José Toribio Merino Saavedra, Navy Inspector General, and of Bertina Castro Varela. He entered the Naval Academy in 1931, graduating in 1936 as a Midshipman. During World War II he served in the US Navy at the USS Raleigh until 1945. After World War II he served in different units of the Chilean Navy such as: Destructor Serrano (2do), Crucero O'Higgins (4to) (CL02), Corbeta Papudo(1º), Transporte Angamos (3ro)
Between 1955 and 1957 he served as aide and counsel in weaponry to the Chilean embassy in London. During the construction of the Almirante-class destroyers Williams and Riveros. In 1960, he was assigned as a teacher at the Naval War Academy (AGN) teaching Logistics, Geopolitics, Geostrategy. In 1969 he became Naval Director of Weapons. In January 1970 he was appointed as Director of Navy Services, and in November of the same year he assumed the command of the Chilean main combat fleet (CJE).
After the military coup that ousted socialist President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, a military junta was formed to govern the country, and Merino was named commander-in-chief of the Chilean Navy. General Pinochet was soon named as the chairman of the ruling junta, as he was head of the army, the oldest branch of the Chilean military. As the navy was the second oldest branch, Merino was vice-chairman and second-in-command to Pinochet.
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