History of Peru

After President Augusto B. Leguía settled the Tacna-Arica dispute with Chile in 1929 resulting in the Peruvian loss of Arica and angering extreme nationalists, and with the Great Depression in full swing draining foreign investment from Peru, his eleven-year dictatorship ended with being removed from office in a military coup.

As we have seen so far, since independence Peru’s political scene was characterized by presidents, civilian governments and parties reflecting the - in comparison to the population - few oligarch elements of Peruvian society with the military being always prominent and regularly seizing power. While both of these groups profited immensely in tim...

After General Francisco Morales moved the Velasco's revolution into a more conservative "second phase" reviving the country's economy by denationalizing certain industries, opening the mining sector to private investors and encouraging foreign investment, he presided over the return to a civilian government under a new democratic constitution. I...

There are two main rebel groups operating in Peru, both leftist: The Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) and the Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru (Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement).

In the 1990 elections, voters concerned about the disastrous economic situation, inflation, the increasing threat from Peru's terror groups, drug trade and corruption, chose relatively unknown Alberto Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants and an agricultural-engineer-turned-politician, as president.

The red and white colors of the Peruvian flag were an inspiration of General José de San Martín. There are various theories and interpretations about its composition.

The earliest people to inhabit what we now call Peru probably arrived in the Andes about 13,000 B.C. These people were hunters and gatherers. On the coast they fished and collected shellfish.

Many years ago, a Peruvian family, with wealth inherited from its conquistador ancestors, founded the church of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores. They decided it that one woman of the family should always take the veil and devote her life to serving as the abbess of the convent.

After Fujimori's resignation, a caretaker government under Valentin Paniagua oversaw democratic presidential and congressional elections in April 2001. The newly elected government, led by Alejandro Toledo as president, took office on the July 28, 2001.

In June 2006 Alan Garcia, candidate of the Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) was elected president once again. After a really disastrous presidential term from 1985 to 1990, Garcia made clear to have learned from his past mistakes and returned to the presidency with many promises to improve Peru's social conditions.