The independence of Peru was proclaimed by the Argentine military José San Martín. This event occurred on July 28, 1821 when, in the main square of Lima, displaying the independent flag of Peru, this General launched the famous proclamation:
“From this moment on, Peru is free and independent, by the general will of its peoples and by the cause that God defends. Long live the Homeland! Long live freedom! Live the independence!".
Jose San Martin
A few days after this declaration of independence, San Martín received the title of "Protector of Peru."
His government was brief, but among his achievements were: the stabilization of the economy, the liberation of slaves, the freedom of the Peruvian Indians and the abolition of institutions such as censorship and the Inquisition.
San Martín, the man who proclaimed the independence of Peru
José Francisco San Martín y Matorras was born on February 25, 1778 in Yapeyú, a viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.
He was a military man, statesman, and independence hero who actively participated in the revolutions against Spanish rule in Argentina (1812), Chile (1818) and Peru (1821).
His father, Juan de San Martín, served as administrator of Yapeyú. Her mother was Gregoria Matorras. Both parents were natives of Spain, and they returned to their motherland when José was six years old.
This liberator began his military career in the Murcia infantry regiment. For 20 years he remained faithful to the Spanish monarchy, defending it against the Moors in Oran in 1791, the British in 1798 and the Portuguese in the War of the Oranges in 1801.
He reached the rank of captain in 1804. He also served on the Seville board during Napoleon's occupation of Spain.
His behavior in conduct in the Battle of Bailén in 1808 earned him the rank of lieutenant colonel and after the Battle of Albuera in 1811 he was elevated to command of the Sagunto Dragons.
However, San Martín did not occupy the position, requesting permission to go to the capital of the viceroyalty of Peru, Lima. Instead of going there, he traveled to Buenos Aires.
By that time, that city had become the main center of resistance in South America for the Seville junta and its successor, the Cádiz Regency Council.
José San Martín joined the movement, and in 1812 he was entrusted with the task of organizing an armed corps to fight against the Peru-centered Spanish royalists who threatened the revolutionary government in Argentina.
In the end, the man who proclaimed the independence of Peru would contribute to the liberation of three nations.
Independence of Peru
The independence of Peru was consummated three years after the proclamation of San Martín. The army of San Martín (which had liberated Argentina and Chile) and that of Simón Bolívar (who had fought in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador) had to unite to defeat the imperial forces.
The meeting of the generals took place in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 1822. Bolívar was left in command of the campaign, and the following year San Martín went into exile in Europe.
The independence of Peru was sealed after the Battle of Ayacucho on December 9, 1824, when the last viceroy of Peru signed the capitulation in favor of the patriots.
References
- Galasso, N. (2000). Let's be free and the rest does not matter at all: life of San Martín. Buenos Aires: Colihue Editions.
- Minster, C. (2017, August 13). Biography of Jose de San Martin. Liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru. ThoughtCo. Recovered from thoughtco.com.
- Bushnell, D. and Metford, J. (2017, March 01). Jose de San Martin. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.
- Cavendish, R. (s / f). The liberation of Peru. History Today. Recovered from historytoday.com.
- Aljovín de Losada, C. and Chávez Aco, FN (2012). Peru. In C. Malamud (Coord.), Rupture and reconciliation. Spain and the recognition of Latin American independences, pp. 287-296. Madrid: Taurus.