Ramón Castilla
Encyclopedia
Ramón Castilla y Marquesado (Tarapacá
, 31 August 1797 – Tiviliche, 25 May 1867) was a Peru
vian caudillo
and President of Peru four times. His earliest prominent appearance in Peruvian history began with his participation in a commanding role of the army of the Libertadores
that helped Peru become an independent nation. Later, he led the country when the economy boomed due to the exploitation of guano
deposits. Castilla's government abolished slavery
and modernized the state.
He assumed the presidency for the first time after general Domingo Nieto
's death for a short period in 1844, then in 1845 until 1851, again from 1855 to 1862 and, finally, during a brief period in 1863.
), the second son of Pedro Castilla, of Spanish-Argentine origin, and Juana Marquezado de Romero, who was of part Aymara descent. In 1807 he traveled to Lima
at the age of 10 to study with his brother and later continued his education in Concepción, Chile
, also helping his brother with his business. In 1817 he enrolled in the Spanish colonial army during Peru's War of Independence, fighting against the independence forces sent by Argentine
general José de San Martín
.
Castilla became a prisoner of war, but managed to escape and returned to Peru
in 1821, deserting the Spanish Army and offering his services to José de San Martín, who enrolled him in the Patriot Army with the rank of lieutenant (a rank he had held with the Spanish Army
). When San Martin resigned as "Protector of Peru", Castilla sided with José de la Riva Agüero
, who in turn shortly became president in 1823.
In 1824, when the Peruvian Congress named Simón Bolívar
dictator or "Liberator of Peru", Castilla joined Bolivar's army, fighting in the decisive Battle of Ayacucho
, which helped Peru gain its independence from Spain.
In 1825 he was named governor of his native province of Tarapacá. In 1833, Castilla married Francisca Diez Canseco.
. Under the latter post, Castilla was responsible for Peru's first lucrative guano exportation. Meanwhile, president Gamarra had been harboring intentions of annexing Bolivia back to Peru and, in 1841, he led an invasion army to Bolivia, only to be defeated and killed by the army of José Ballivián
during the Battle of Ingavi, leaving Peru without a leader. During that year various infights among caudillos occurred who constantly proclaimed themselves Presidents. Manuel Menéndez
, then Vice President, assumed the presidency, but was overthrown by a coup d'état
led by Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
in 1842.
Soon after, Castilla, along with Domingo Nieto
, overthrew Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco
during the Battle of Carmen Alto. Nieto assumed the presidency but died a few months later. Castilla assumed the position on February 17, 1844 until December 11 of that year. After defeating the other caudillos around the country, Castilla reinstated Menéndez as President, in order to achieve a constitutional transition to democracy.
In 1845, Castilla won the Peruvian presidential elections and was sworn in in April of that year. During this time the guano export boom was rapidly expanding, largely due to treaties signed with the British
company Anthony Gibbs, which had commercialized the guano in Europe
. Important urban projects were also begun under this period, such as the first railroad from Lima
to Callao
, which helped in the transportation of the guano from the production centers ready to be shipped abroad.
After six years in power, Castilla was succeeded by José Rufino Echenique
. In 1854, however, another rebellion was led in Peru's second-largest city, Arequipa
, by Castilla himself, who was largely urged by other Peruvian liberals to help in the suppression of slavery in the country.
On December 3, 1854, in the city of Huancayo
, an abolition of slavery law was passed. As this law was being applied, Castilla confronted and defeated Echenique in the Battle of La Palma on January 5, 1855.
In 1859, Peru had a confrontation with neighboring Ecuador
over disputed territory bordering the Amazon. Though Peru was considered successful, Castilla failed to secure a definitive agreement with Ecuador and the issue would haunt both countries until the end of the 20th century when the 1997 Peace and Border Treaty of Itamaraty was signed by Peru and Ecuador in Brazil. In December 1860 a new constitution was enacted during Castilla's presidency and became Peru's supreme law until 1920. Castilla's second presidency, therefore, was marked by the liberation of slave
s and indigenous Peruvians, as well as a new postal system and a new constitution.
In 1862 he was succeeded by Miguel de San Román
, who died less than a year later. Castilla refused to recognise Pedro Diez Canseco
, the Second Vice President of the Republic, and claimed the presidency for hiself. Diez Canseco, however, was chosen as interim president from April to August 1863, and was succeeded by Juan Antonio Pezet
.
In 1864 Castilla condemned the international policies of Pezet, only to be jailed and exiled to Gibraltar
. During his absence the historic Battle of Callao
took place, which became Spain's final and unsuccessful move to reconquer independent Peru.
After he returned to Peru, he was again deported to Chile
on the orders of then president Mariano Ignacio Prado
. In a last effort to regain power for a fifth time, Castilla – now nearly seventy – and a group of followers landed in Pisagua
and proceeded towards the Tiviliche desert. This last try, however, proved fatal and Castilla died in his final attempt to pass through southern Peru on May 30, 1867.
Tarapacá Province (Peru)
The Province of Tarapacá was an old territorial division of Peru, which existed from 1837 until 1883.* It was created in 1837, in Litoral Department....
, 31 August 1797 – Tiviliche, 25 May 1867) was a Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
and President of Peru four times. His earliest prominent appearance in Peruvian history began with his participation in a commanding role of the army of the Libertadores
Libertadores
Libertadores refers to the principal leaders of the Latin American wars of independence from Spain. They are named that way in contrast with the Conquistadors, who were so far the only Spanish peoples recorded in the South American history...
that helped Peru become an independent nation. Later, he led the country when the economy boomed due to the exploitation of guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
deposits. Castilla's government abolished slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and modernized the state.
He assumed the presidency for the first time after general Domingo Nieto
Domingo Nieto
Domingo Nieto a Peruvian Grand Marshall, forefather of the nation, and politician who became President of Peru between 1843 and 1844....
's death for a short period in 1844, then in 1845 until 1851, again from 1855 to 1862 and, finally, during a brief period in 1863.
First years
Born in Tarapacá (then part of the Viceroyalty of PeruViceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
), the second son of Pedro Castilla, of Spanish-Argentine origin, and Juana Marquezado de Romero, who was of part Aymara descent. In 1807 he traveled to Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
at the age of 10 to study with his brother and later continued his education in Concepción, Chile
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
, also helping his brother with his business. In 1817 he enrolled in the Spanish colonial army during Peru's War of Independence, fighting against the independence forces sent by Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
general José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
.
Castilla became a prisoner of war, but managed to escape and returned to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in 1821, deserting the Spanish Army and offering his services to José de San Martín, who enrolled him in the Patriot Army with the rank of lieutenant (a rank he had held with the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
). When San Martin resigned as "Protector of Peru", Castilla sided with José de la Riva Agüero
José de la Riva Agüero
José Mariano de la Riva Agüero y Sánchez Boquete Marquess De Montealegre de Aulestia was a Peruvian soldier, politician, historian and twice President of Peru....
, who in turn shortly became president in 1823.
In 1824, when the Peruvian Congress named Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
dictator or "Liberator of Peru", Castilla joined Bolivar's army, fighting in the decisive Battle of Ayacucho
Battle of Ayacucho
The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. It was the battle that sealed the independence of Peru, as well as the victory that ensured independence for the rest of South America...
, which helped Peru gain its independence from Spain.
In 1825 he was named governor of his native province of Tarapacá. In 1833, Castilla married Francisca Diez Canseco.
Anarchy: Castilla and Nieto
In 1839 Castilla beside the Chilean general Manuel Bulnes decided the victory of the Restorative Army in battle of Yungay (War of the Confederation) and was named Minister of War and Minister of Finance under Agustín GamarraAgustín Gamarra
Agustín Gamarra Messia was a Peruvian soldier and politician, becoming twice President of Peru from 1829 to 1833 and from 1838 to 1841....
. Under the latter post, Castilla was responsible for Peru's first lucrative guano exportation. Meanwhile, president Gamarra had been harboring intentions of annexing Bolivia back to Peru and, in 1841, he led an invasion army to Bolivia, only to be defeated and killed by the army of José Ballivián
José Ballivián
José Ballivián was a Bolivian general during the Peruvian-Bolivian War and the 11th president of Bolivia from September 27, 1841 to December 23, 1847.-Biography:...
during the Battle of Ingavi, leaving Peru without a leader. During that year various infights among caudillos occurred who constantly proclaimed themselves Presidents. Manuel Menéndez
Manuel Menéndez
Manuel Menéndez Gorozabel was President of Peru on three occasions, from 1841 to 1842 and twice in two brief periods in August 1844 and finally on October 1845.He assumed the presidency of Peru upon the death of Agustín Gamarra....
, then Vice President, assumed the presidency, but was overthrown by a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
led by Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico González was President of Peru during a brief period in 1842. At age 34, he was the youngest ever president of Peru....
in 1842.
Soon after, Castilla, along with Domingo Nieto
Domingo Nieto
Domingo Nieto a Peruvian Grand Marshall, forefather of the nation, and politician who became President of Peru between 1843 and 1844....
, overthrew Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco
Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco
Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco Iturralde was a Peruvian politician and military leader who held the presidency of Peru from 1843 to 1844. He was born in Valparaíso, Chile...
during the Battle of Carmen Alto. Nieto assumed the presidency but died a few months later. Castilla assumed the position on February 17, 1844 until December 11 of that year. After defeating the other caudillos around the country, Castilla reinstated Menéndez as President, in order to achieve a constitutional transition to democracy.
President of the Republic
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company Anthony Gibbs, which had commercialized the guano in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Important urban projects were also begun under this period, such as the first railroad from Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
to Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, which helped in the transportation of the guano from the production centers ready to be shipped abroad.
After six years in power, Castilla was succeeded by José Rufino Echenique
José Rufino Echenique
José Rufino Echenique Benavente was President of Peru in 1851.He participated in the Peruvian War of Independence. In 1851, Echenique won the presidential elections to succeed Ramón Castilla. Under his government, the first civil laws of Peru were promulgated...
. In 1854, however, another rebellion was led in Peru's second-largest city, Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
, by Castilla himself, who was largely urged by other Peruvian liberals to help in the suppression of slavery in the country.
On December 3, 1854, in the city of Huancayo
Huancayo
Huancayo with a rock') is the capital of the Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. It is located in Junín Province, of which it is also capital. Situated near the Mantaro Valley at an altitude of 3,271 meters, it has a population of 377,000 and is the fifth most populous city of the...
, an abolition of slavery law was passed. As this law was being applied, Castilla confronted and defeated Echenique in the Battle of La Palma on January 5, 1855.
In 1859, Peru had a confrontation with neighboring Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
over disputed territory bordering the Amazon. Though Peru was considered successful, Castilla failed to secure a definitive agreement with Ecuador and the issue would haunt both countries until the end of the 20th century when the 1997 Peace and Border Treaty of Itamaraty was signed by Peru and Ecuador in Brazil. In December 1860 a new constitution was enacted during Castilla's presidency and became Peru's supreme law until 1920. Castilla's second presidency, therefore, was marked by the liberation of slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s and indigenous Peruvians, as well as a new postal system and a new constitution.
In 1862 he was succeeded by Miguel de San Román
Miguel de San Román
Miguel de San Román Meza was President of Peru for a brief period between 1862 and 1863....
, who died less than a year later. Castilla refused to recognise Pedro Diez Canseco
Pedro Diez Canseco
Pedro Diez Canseco Corbacho was a Peruvian soldier and politician who became interim President of Peru on three occasions: 1863, 1865 and 1868.-See also:* List of Presidents of Peru...
, the Second Vice President of the Republic, and claimed the presidency for hiself. Diez Canseco, however, was chosen as interim president from April to August 1863, and was succeeded by Juan Antonio Pezet
Juan Antonio Pezet
Juan Antonio Pezet was a Peruvian military officer and politician who served in the positions of Secretary of War, Vice President and President of Peru during his life...
.
In 1864 Castilla condemned the international policies of Pezet, only to be jailed and exiled to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. During his absence the historic Battle of Callao
Battle of Callao
The Battle of Callao occurred on May 2, 1866 between a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez and the fortified battery emplacements of the Peruvian port city of Callao during the Chincha Islands War...
took place, which became Spain's final and unsuccessful move to reconquer independent Peru.
After he returned to Peru, he was again deported to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on the orders of then president Mariano Ignacio Prado
Mariano Ignacio Prado
Mariano Ignacio Prado Ochoa was twice the President of Peru, from 1865 to 1868 and 1876 to 1879).-Biography:Born in Huánuco in 1826, he entered the army at an early age and served in the provinces of Southern Peru....
. In a last effort to regain power for a fifth time, Castilla – now nearly seventy – and a group of followers landed in Pisagua
Pisagua
Pisagua is a Chilean port on the Pacific Ocean, located in Huara comuna , in Tarapacá Region, northern Chile. In 2007, the new province of El Tamarugal was established and the comuna of Huara, previously within the province of Iquique, was incorporated to the newly created province.-Early...
and proceeded towards the Tiviliche desert. This last try, however, proved fatal and Castilla died in his final attempt to pass through southern Peru on May 30, 1867.