The intersection between the economic policy of President Balmaceda and the economic interests of the nitrate business community, especially British, has been the subject of study by various specialists, creating a controversy that carries on until now. However, we maintain that there was a coincidence between the economic policy of President Balmaceda and the economic interests of the nitrate business regarding the need to implement nitrate propaganda in the international fertilizer market, including Universal Expositions. We also observe the persistence of some Balmacedista ideas in the governments after 1891 and until 1910, related to a certain protectionism or nationalization of the nitrate industry. This article analyzes the emergence of the Nitrate Permanent Committee, its relationship with the Saltpeter Mergers and the work of diplomats accredited around the world in the promotion of saltpeter in Chile.
