with government approval, he visited the island in 1887. after a year of negotiations with the islanders under atamu tekena, on september 9, 1888, he took possession of the island on behalf of chile. in 1891, he refused to participate in naval actions against josé manuel balmaceda's government in the 1891 chilean civil war and was separated from the army. in 1893, in the general amnesty enacted by the new government, he was pensioned. he died in santiago in 1921.