History of Peru

The Fight for Independence Back to top

Peru's war of independence was triggered not by the indigenous population, but by an uprising of landowners of Spanish descent and their forces, angered that their being born outside Spain made it impossible for them to reach high office in the colonial administration.

José de San Martín of Argentina and Simón Bolívar of Venezuela both led armies against the Spanish. After months of slow advances, San Martin won a decisive victory at the Battle of Pisco on 6 December 1820. San Martín occupied Lima, the capital of Peru, on 9 July 1821. This was a huge loss for the Spanish forces. On 28 July he was voted "Protector" of the nation, the same day that he proclaimed Peruvian independence from Spain from a balcony just outside Lima, with the words "... From this moment on, Peru is free and independent, for the general will of the towns and for the justice of its cause that God defends. Long live the homeland! Long live freedom! Long live our independence!” However, most of Peru was still controlled by the Spanish.

Bolivar, who had already liberated Venezuela and Colombia, sent Antonio Jose de Sucre to Ecuador where he fought and won a battle against the Spanish viceroy, Jose de La Serna, on 24th May 1822.

On 26 July 1822 San Martin met Simon Bolivar in Ecuador to plan the future of Latin America. Most of the details of this meeting were secret, and much debate has surrounded what was agreed. San Martin later withdrew from Peru and resettled as a farmer in Argentina, leaving Bolivar in command. San Martin later went into self-imposed exile in France.

Complete independence from Spain for Peru was finally declared on 9 December 1824, after General Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spanish troops at the Battle of Ayacucho, ending Spanish rule in South America.

Spain made futile attempts to regain its former colonies, such as at the Battle of Callao, but in 1879 it finally recognized Peru's independence.

After Peru won its independence from Spain the indigenous people continued to suffer, with additional loss of community lands and the introduction of a system of tied labour, which was imposed in exchange for the right to live on haciendas and keep animals. This situation was not ended until 1969 when the governing military junta decreed a land reform law.

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