RAMÓN CASTILLA: BIOGRAPHY, CHARACTERISTICS AND WORKS - HISTORY - 2024

Ramón Castilla (1797-1867) was a Peruvian politician who held the presidency of the country on several occasions. Born in the still Viceroyalty of Peru, under Spanish rule, Castilla enlisted in the royalist army and, at first, fought against the independentistas of the Chilean Old Homeland.

Years later, Castilla changed its position and joined the troops of San Martín and, later, of Simón Bolívar. Once independence was achieved, it participated in civil wars and revolutions that took place in the territory for many years.

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His first presidential term began in 1845, becoming the first president capable of completing the full six-year term established by the Constitution. In 1855 he assumed the position for the second time, first as Provisional President and then Constitutional. In addition, he held the presidency provisionally for a few days in 1863.

The governments of Ramón Castilla are characterized by the search for institutional, economic and political stability in the country. He is considered a caudillista politician, but also the first progressive and innovative president of the country. His achievements include the improvement of education and the abolition of slavery.

Biography

Ramón Castilla y Marquesado was born on August 31, 1797 in San Lorenzo de Tarapacá. At that time, that region was in the Viceroyalty of Peru, under the rule of the Spanish Crown.

According to the chronicles, Ramón had to help his father in his work as a woodcutter. In addition, it is said that he made continuous trips to the desert to collect carob branches.

At the age of 10, the boy moved to Lima to study, under the protection of his brother Leandro. A few years later, he began to live in the Chilean city of Concepción.

Entry into the army

Also together with his brother Leandro, young Ramón joined the royalist army in 1812. Although he was only 15 years old, he entered combat several times during the campaigns against the Chilean Old Homeland, which was seeking independence. After defeating the insurgents, Castilla received his office as a cadet in 1816.

Still a member of the colonial army, Ramón Castilla was taken prisoner when he was 20 years old. His capture occurred during the battle of Chacabuco, on February 12, 1817. The young man was sent to a detention camp in Buenos Aires, although he managed to escape shortly after.

Return to Peru

Castile's return to Peru after escaping from captivity was by no means easy. From Buenos Aires he had to go to Montevideo and, later, to Rio de Janeiro.

From the Brazilian city he began a journey that took him across the Mato Grosso to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, today Bolivia. In total, the trip lasted 5 months, crossing 7 thousand miles.

Once back, Castile rejoined the royalist army. In 1820 he became a member of the Union Dragoons regiment, located in Arequipa.

It was at this time that the military changed his political position. Thus, he offered himself first to Torre Tagle and, later, to San Martín to fight in their ranks. Initially, the independence leaders subjected him to interrogations to verify his sincerity. After convincing them, in 1822 he joined the Hussars of the Peruvian Legion.

Independence

In 1824, Castilla joined the army led by Simón Bolívar. The military played an important role in the battle of Ayacucho, by which Peru achieved its independence. Thus, Sucre mentioned in his chronicles that Castilla was the first to enter the royalist field, suffering injuries during combat.

During his stay in the hospital, he had the opportunity to meet his brother Leandro, who had remained loyal to the royalist troops.

A year later, in 1825, he returned to his native province to visit his family. During the journey he was able to meet Bolívar in Arequipa. The Liberator appointed him subprefect of the province of Tarapacá in recognition of his services. In Arequipa itself he married Francisca Díez Canseco.

Republican revolutions

Castilla became in 1825 one of the first public offices that he broke with Bolívar, after he promulgated the Lifetime Constitution.

Once the government changed, with José de la Mar as president, Castilla was sent to Arequipa to prepare the troops for the imminent conflict with Greater Colombia. During his stay in that city, he discovered and dismantled a conspiracy led by the president of Bolivia to segregate the southern departments.

In 1830 he moved to Lima, where he was appointed aide by President Agustín Gamarra. Later, he was sent to Cuzco to end an insurrection that sought to establish a federal system. After ending this rebellion, he advanced to the Bolivian border and assumed the leadership of the General Staff.

Back in Lima, Castilla confronted President Gamarra, which earned him a conspiracy indictment. For this he was imprisoned, although he managed to flee and go into exile in Chile in March 1833. On his return to Peru, he supported the proclamation of Orbegoso as provisional president.

In the following two years, the country continued to be immersed in great political instability, with continuous rebellions and changes of government.

Peru-Bolivian Confederation

During the conflict caused by the project of establishing a Confederation between Peru and Bolivia, Castile positioned itself among those who were against it. The war between both sides lasted between 1836 and 1839, ending with the victory of the opponents of the Confederacy.

Castile participated in several of the battles during the war, getting promotions and gaining popularity in his country. It was during this conflict that his phrase "We have not come to run!" Became famous.

When the war ended, Castile became Minister General, first, and Minister of War and Finance, later, in the second government of Gamarra. He supported the leader in his intention to invade Bolivia, although he was defeated in Ingavi. Castilla was captured and remained a prisoner in Oruro.

At the end of the confrontation with Bolivia, Castilla returned to Peru. During the period called Military Anarchy, between 1842 and 1845, he faced Vivanco, whom he defeated in the battle of Carmen Alto.

With this victory, the vice president of the moment, Manuel Menéndez, proceeded to call elections. The one chosen for the position was Ramón Castilla.

First government of Ramón Castilla

Ramón Castilla took office in 1845. The country was in a very bad situation, exhausted by the continuous struggles between the military leaders.

Fortunately for the new rulers, the sale of guano to Europe allowed him to obtain sufficient income to begin to improve the country. With that money, he was able to launch numerous public works, improving infrastructure. Likewise, he managed to calm the political situation.

Elections of 1850

The next elections were held in 1850. Castilla supported General José Rufino Echenique, a candidate from the conservative sectors.

Echenique managed to win in a vote that is considered the first electoral process in Peru. Despite trying to follow in Castilla's footsteps, the Echenique government was involved in several corruption cases. The most serious was the domestic debt consolidation scandal.

The liberal revolution of 1854

The aforementioned scandal caused Domingo Elías to take up arms against the government in January 1854, although he was defeated by government troops.

However, it was not the only rebellion that took place, as the then Marshal Castilla led a group of young liberals who tried to end Echenique's presidency.

The insurrection soon gained the support of much of the country, leading to a veritable civil war.

Castilla declared himself provisional president, decreeing the abolition of the indigenous tribute in July 1854. Later, he defeated the supporters of Echenique in Izcuchaca, after which he signed the decree that abolished slavery in the country, something that caused an adverse reaction on the part of the landowners.

The final battle was fought around Lima. On January 5, 1855, the revolution against Echenique was proclaimed victorious.

Provisional Presidency (1855-1858)

Castilla presided over the provisional government that emerged after the rebellion against Echenique. It was an executive with a marked liberal character, who took measures as important as freedom of the press.

One of the first decisions made by the new government was the convocation of constituent elections. Those elections were the first with direct and universal suffrage, since representatives were elected to Congress instead of to the Electoral Colleges, as had happened until then.

The National Convention that emerged from the elections was established on July 14, 1855. Castilla was ratified as Provisional President. However, the authoritarian way of the president made him soon break with the liberals and replace them with men of his confidence.

Civil war of 1856-1858

Despite Castile's break with the liberals, the country's conservative sectors organized to overthrow it. The leader of the rebellion was Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco.

The beginning of the uprising was on October 31, 1856, in Arequipa. The conspirators burned a copy of the recently promulgated Constitution and began the attack on government troops.

At first, the rebels, who dominated the navy, tried to head north by sea, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to unite that part of the country to their rebellion. After this, they marched towards Callao to try to take the town. Again, his attempt was unsuccessful.

These failures caused the rebellion to be limited to Arequipa. Castilian supporters besieged the city, leading to bloody clashes.

The president himself led the army and arrived by sea in Arequipa. For new months, government troops held the city under siege. On March 5, 1558, Castile ordered a massive attack to end the resistance. After hours of fighting, which caused numerous casualties, the rebels were defeated.

Second Constitutional Presidency (1858-1862)

Although the rebellion had failed, Castile decided to end the liberal presence in its government. The National Convention was dissolved and the President called new elections.

The result confirmed Ramón Castilla as Constitutional President for a new four-year term.

War with Ecuador

Tensions with Ecuador had already begun in 1857, since this country, in order to settle its debt with its British creditors, had ceded territories that Peru considered its own.

After some diplomatic efforts, both countries broke relations and the Peruvian Congress authorized Castile to use all available means to obtain satisfactions from Ecuador.

The blockade of the Ecuadorian coast carried out by the Peruvian naval forces was very effective. In August 1859, Ecuador signed an armistice with Peru. The Mapaingue treaty ended the conflict.

The elections of 1862

Ramón Castilla still held the presidency of Peru on another occasion. The elections of 1862 had brought Marshal Miguel de San Román to power, whom Castilla had supported. However, the new president died on April 3, 1863 after just six months of government.

Castilla again assumed the position on an interim basis, since none of the vice presidents were in Lima. Many feared that Castilla would take advantage to perpetuate itself in power, but only held the position for a few days, until Canseco, second vice president, returned to the capital.

Last years

Castile's political career did not end with that interim presidency. In 1864, he was elected senator for Tarapacá, as well as president of its chamber. Soon, he began to show his disagreement with the foreign policy of the new government.

Castilla was captured and exiled in Gibraltar in February 1865. However, his popularity in Peru caused a rebellion to break out against the government, which ended up being overthrown.

On his return to Peru, on May 17, 1966, he received a tribute in Lima. However, he suffered a new exile for his opposition to President Mariano Ignacio Prado, this time in Chile. From there, he tried to rebel in defense of the 1860 Constitution, which the government planned to replace with the more liberal 1867 one.

Castilla starred in a landing in Tarapacá. His intention was to regain power, but he died while on his way to Arica, on May 30, 1867. His last words were: "One more month of life, Lord, and I will make my country happy, just a few more days."

Characteristics of his government

Ramón Castilla is considered one of the highest representatives of the Peruvian military caudillismo. Their governments oscillated between authoritarianism and the enactment of liberal measures, such as freedom of the press.

He was elected Constitutional President on two occasions, occupying the position temporarily during other periods. He never hesitated to take up arms when he considered that it was the best for his country.

Institutional and economic stability

When Castile came to power for the first time, in 1845, the country was going through a stage characterized by fighting between military leaders.

The first objective of the new government was to end this instability and, in addition, take advantage of the possibilities offered by the sale of guano to improve the economy. It was about restoring order and increasing the individual rights of citizens.

The profits obtained from selling the guano were used to improve the infrastructures, which resulted in better economic data.

Castilla presented the first budget of the Republic, paid the foreign debt (except the one it had with Spain) and created a system of consignments for the sale of said guano.

Americanist international politics

The foreign policy of Castilla is considered by experts as "Americanist". The politician wanted Peru to begin to gain importance among the countries of the continent.

To do this, it opened embassies in the United States, England, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as consulates in France and Belgium.

Likewise, it established a kind of defense alliance between the Latin American countries before the possibility of an external attack.

The reason was the so-called Flores Expedition, which sought to establish a monarchy in South America, with a Spanish Bourbon prince at the head. Castilla managed to ensure that any attack on a country in the region had a joint response.

Educational field

Another of the issues dealt with by the governments of Ramón Castilla was the modernization of education in Peru. In 1850 he established the first Regulation on the subject, assuming the State the direction of education in the country.

Among the established measures, the extension of primary instruction stands out, in addition to making it free. Despite this, the lack of budget led to fewer schools being built than planned.

Likewise, it organized the universities and that the Colegio Mayor were incorporated into the University.

Moderate Constitution of 1860

Although Castile had already participated in the promulgation of the Constitution of 1856, of a liberal nature, when it had the opportunity it promoted the development of another more moderate Magna Carta.

During his second term, he ordered Congress to draft a new Constitution, which was promulgated in 1860. The approved legislation included the establishment of the death penalty or the return to the indirect voting system. Likewise, it confirmed the predominance of the Catholic religion and prohibited presidential reelection.

Government works

Ramón Castilla, despite his character, often authoritarian, is considered by many historians as one of the first innovative and progressive presidents of Peru. For the experts, with their presidencies the republican period really began.

End of slavery

One of the most important laws that Castile promoted during his tenures was the liberation of the slaves. The law was officially promulgated in 1854 and recognized slaves as citizens of the country with all civil rights. It is estimated that this measure affected almost 50,000 people.

Press freedom law

Although his trajectory in the aspect of civil liberties suffered variations according to the moment. Castilla was responsible for the freedom of the press law. With it, he favored the media, defending the publication of all kinds of information and opinions.

In the educational field, Castilla reformed the colonial models in force until that time, modernizing teaching in Peru.

Abolition of indigenous tribute and mayorazgos

Within its progressive policies, Castilla ended the mandatory tithes that had to be paid to the clergy. He did the same with the tributes that the natives had to pay and that were mounted at the time of the viceroyalty.

Infrastructure

The construction of new infrastructures was one of the priorities of the governments of Castile. From the first time he held the presidency, he used the money obtained from the sale of guano to modernize the country.

In 1851 he gave the order to build the first railway line in Peru. This covered the route from Lima to Callao. Along with this, it promoted steam navigation.

On the other hand, it promoted policies that developed gas lighting in cities, the arrival of drinking water throughout the territory and the introduction of oil.

References

1. Biographies and Lives. Ramón Castilla. Obtained from biografiasyvidas.com
2. Drafting Perú 21. Ramón Castilla: Thirteen important works 147 years after his death. Obtained from peru21.pe
3. History of Peru. Ramón Castilla. Obtained from historiaperuana.pe
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ramón Castilla. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. The Biography. Biography of Ramón Castilla Marquesado (1797-1867). Retrieved from thebiography.us
6. Mücke, Ulrich. Biography and Political History in Republican Peru. Recovered from degruyter.com
7. Revolvy. Ramón Castilla. Retrieved from revolvy.com
8. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ramón Castilla. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com