Washington Saldías Fuentealba (6 September 1927 – 31 October 1989)[1] was the 29th Mayor of the Chilean commune of Pichilemu, office which he held between May 1971 and September 1973: his term was interrupted by the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, which put General Augusto Pinochet in the power of the country, and who later appointed Carlos Echazarreta Iñiguez as the successor of Saldías.

[3] Among his work as mayor of the commune, he started the construction of the Avenida Costanera, an avenue which now borders the coast of Pichilemu;[5] additionally, the Plaza Arturo Prat (Arturo Prat Square, constructed during the mayorship of Carlos Rojas Pavez, had its condition improved by the installation of streetlamps, planting of new trees, and cement benches.

[6] Saldías also constructed roads connecting the southern parts of the commune, including the beach of Punta de Lobos, the neighborhood of Playa Hermosa, and the village of Cáhuil, with the urban center.

[7] He was described in a session of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile as a "very active man, very hard working and much worried of his commune's problems.

"[8] Saldías' term, however, was interrupted by the 1973 coup d'état, which put General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte presiding a government junta which, on 29 September 1973, expelled Saldías Fuentealba from the mayoral office and put in his place Christian Democrat regidor Carlos Echazarreta Iñiguez, who held office until November of that year.