Andrés Avelino Cáceres Dorregaray (10 November 1836 – 10 October 1923) was a Peruvian politician and general who served as the
President of Peru, from 1886 to 1890 as the 27th president, and again from 1894 to 1895 as the 30th. He is considered a Peruvian national hero for leading the resistance against the
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an occupation during the
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
(1879–1883), in which he fought as a
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
in the
Peruvian Army.
Early years
Andrés Avelino Cáceres was born on 10 November 1833, in the city of
Ayacucho. His father, Don Domingo Cáceres y Ore, was a
landowner and his mother, Justa Dorregaray Cueva, daughter of the Spanish colonel Demetrio Dorregaray. He was ''
mestizo
( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
''; one of his maternal ancestors was Catalina Huanca, an Inka-Wanka princess. He studied at the ''Colegio San Ramón'' () in his hometown.
Military career
In 1854, Cáceres abandoned his studies and joined the ''Ayacucho''
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
as a
cadet. As part of this unit, he participated in the rebellion led by
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Ramón Castilla against
President José Rufino Echenique, which ended with the victory of the former at the
Battle of La Palma (5 January 1855).
Afterwards, he quickly ascended through the military, obtaining the rank of
Second Lieutenant later that year and that of
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in 1857. From 1857 to 1859 he actively supported
Ramón Castilla's government against a rebellion by former president
Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco. During the fighting, Cáceres was severely wounded in the left eye.
War against Ecuador
When war broke out between
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
in 1859, Cáceres was still ailing from his wound, but took part in the campaign. After the conflict ended in 1860, Castilla appointed Cáceres as military attaché of the Peruvian delegation to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and he traveled there. He received treatment for his eye in Paris. Cáceres returned to Peru in 1862 and joined the ''Pichincha''
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
in
Huancayo.
War against Spain
During this period, he became known for his outspoken opposition to President
Juan Antonio Pezet, who had allowed the Spanish occupation of the
Chincha Islands in the
Vivanco-Pareja Treaty of 1865. For his criticism he was exiled to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
with several other officers but they managed to escape, landing at the southern port of
Mollendo.
They joined the ''Revolución Restauradora del Honor Nacional'' (National Honor Restoring Revolution) led by
Mariano Ignacio Prado against Pezet's government. Cáceres participated in the occupation of Lima and later, with Prado as president, in the
Battle of Callao on 2 May 1866, which forced Spanish naval forces to retreat from Peruvian waters and the
Chincha Islands.
Pardo's presidency
In 1868, Cáceres decided to end his military career and return to
Ayacucho to live as a farmer. However, he returned to the political arena in 1872 opposing colonel
Tomás Gutierrez's coup against president
Manuel Pardo. Pardo was the first civilian President of Peru and founder of the influential
Civilista Party which played an important role in Peruvian political history.
His support for Pardo's Presidency earned him support from
Civilista Party leaders and he was appointed head of the ''Zepita'' Battalion. As such, in 1874, he suppressed a rebellion led by future Peruvian President
Nicolás de Piérola in
Moquegua. For this action, he was awarded the rank of
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and later named
prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect' ...
of
Cuzco.
War of the Pacific (1879–1883)
Southern campaigns
At the start of the
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
, (5 April 1879), Cáceres was sent with his ''Zepita'' Battalion to the province of
Tarapacá. There, he fought against the
Chilean Army in the battles of
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and the
Tarapacá. In the latter, his intervention was decisive to achieve a Peruvian victory against heavy odds.
Despite this victory, the
Peruvian Army proved incapable of stopping the invasion and was forced to retreat north to the province of
Tacna. Chileans landed north of this position, at
Ilo, from where they attacked the main Peruvian position.
Cáceres played a major role in the reorganization of the Peruvian Southern Army. This Army was deployed around the city of
Tacna together with a Bolivian Army led by the
President of Bolivia himself, General
Narciso Campero. However, the political instability created after
Nicolás de Piérola successfully overthrew
Mariano Ignacio Prado hampered the actions of the Allied Army against the Chileans.
On 26 May 1880, the
Battle of Tacna was fought, where the Chileans defeated the combined Bolivian-Peruvian Army. Cáceres had a notable participation in this action after which he retreated to
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
.
Lima campaign
Piérola ordered what was left of the Army to protect the capital, Lima, together with poorly armed citizens which were called to the fight. Cáceres was then put at the command of the 5th division of the
Reserve. With no reinforcements available, and with the Chilean assault force deploying from the south, Peruvian forces were defeated in the battles of
San Juan and Chorrillos and
Miraflores. Cáceres was wounded in the latter combat and taken to Lima. When the city fell in January 1881, he escaped to
Jauja in the mountainous
hinterland of
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
.
La Breña campaign
Cáceres, upon learning about the abuses (executions and rapes) of the Chileans against civilians, including volunteer infantrymen and women in the
defense of Lima during the campaigns of
San Juan and
Miraflores, and the beginning of the
first expedition against him in 1881, Cáceres as revenge to the abused civilians, it was decided that the
Chileans captured or wounded after each combat or battle would have their heads cut off and the heads of the Chileans would be used as a trophy war, to lower the morale of the Chileans. Subsequently, before the
Huamachuco disaster, the Chileans decided to no longer commit abuses against civilians.
As the senior
officer in the region, Cáceres was named Political - Military Chief of the
departments of the center (26 April 1881). He dedicated himself to organizing resistance against Chilean occupation, conducting a
guerrilla war for which he
mobilized the
peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...
population. Thanks to the local support, the difficult terrain and his own military skills, Cáceres defeated several Chilean expeditions sent against him at the battles of
Pucará and another battle there in July 1882,
Marcavalle, and
La Concepción.
For this feats, he was nicknamed as the ''Brujo de los Andes'' (The Andes Warlock). But in spite of all his talent and resolve, he was finally defeated by the better armed and trained Chilean forces in the
Battle of Huamachuco (10 July 1883). Even though he tried to regroup, a Peruvian government headed by
Miguel Iglesias signed the
Treaty of Ancón (10 October 1883), recognizing defeat and bringing an end to the war.
First presidency (1886–1890)
After the war, Cáceres refused to recognize Iglesias as president so a
civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
ensued between these two factions. He evaded the enemy's army and attacked Lima on 28 November 1885, forcing Iglesias to resign on 12 December. The country was ruled by a Council of Ministers headed by
Antonio Arenas while new elections took place. Running for the Constitutional Party, Cáceres won the elections as sole
candidate
A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group (sociology), group or election to an offic ...
and assumed as president on 3 June 1886.
The new government faced a serious economic crisis due to a huge debt and the severe damage caused by the War of the Pacific. As a solution for these problems, the Cáceres administration engaged in negotiations with its
creditor
A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some propert ...
s, the result of which was the Grace Contract, signed on 28 October 1888, and approved by the
Congress of Peru on 25 October 1889. Under the agreement, the Peruvian
State handed over control of its
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
s, a guano
concession, annual payments over 33 years and several minor concessions. In exchange, its creditors agreed to pay the country's debt and expand its railways.
The Grace Contract caused widespread controversy, the Cáceres administration was accused of having sold the country's main assets at a very low price among other things. In any case, the agreement allowed the government to solve its
external debt
A country's gross external debt (or foreign debt) is the liabilities that are owed to nonresidents by residents. The debtors can be government, governments, corporation, corporations or citizens. External debt may be denominated in domestic or f ...
problem and assured the expansion of Peruvian railways at a time when there were no public resources whatsoever for either task.
Other initiatives undertaken during this period included the end of the use of
banknote
A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commerc ...
s as
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that Standard of deferred payment, courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment in court for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything ...
the separation of State incomes between those of the central government and those of the
departments, and a partial
consolidation of the
internal debt. After the victory of
Remigio Morales, the official candidate in the presidential elections of 13 April 1890, Cáceres transferred power to his successor on August 10 of the same year.
Second presidency (1894–1895)
Morales Bermúdez died in office on 1 April 1894, and was replaced by
Vice President of Peru Justiniano Borgoño. Subsequent presidential elections were won by Cáceres amid accusations of
fraud
In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...
. His second term was inaugurated on 10 August 1894.
There were widespread outbreaks of
rebellion
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
throughout the country, which eventually united under the leadership of former president
Nicolás de Piérola. Rebel forces attacked Lima on 17 March 1895, the ensuing fight was stopped two days later by an
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
signed under the auspices of the
diplomatic corps. Recognizing his defeat and unpopularity, Cáceres resigned and was replaced by an interim Government
Junta.
Later years

After his downfall, Cáceres lived in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
from 1895 until 1899. He returned to Perú but left again, this time for Europe where he served as Peruvian ambassador in the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
(
1905–1911) and the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
and
Austria–Hungary (
1911–1914). Back in Lima, he supported
Augusto B. Leguía in his campaign for the presidency and his successful coup against
José Pardo in 1919. The new government awarded him the rank of
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
on 10 November 1919. Cáceres died on 10 October 1923, in the town of
Ancón at the age of 86.
[Jorge Basadre, ''Historia de la República del Perú'', Vol. IX, p. 296.]
Legacy
In Peru, Cáceres is regarded as a nationalist figure. His image symbolizes resistance against foreign forces for his opposition to the Spanish occupation of the Chincha Islands and, more importantly, for organizing resistance against Chile, Peru's traditional enemy.
In recent years, in acknowledgement of this symbolism, a group of Peruvian military veterans have organized and adopted the name ''
etnocacerista'' after Cáceres. ''Etnocaceristas'' now compose the bulk of the support for the
Peruvian Nationalist Party
Peruvian Nationalist Party (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista Peruano;'' PNP) is a Centre-left politics, centre-left to left-wing politics, left-wing political party in Peru.
History
The Nationalist Party had as its antecedent t ...
.
An interesting legacy is found in the person of Zoila
Aurora Cáceres, one of his daughters, who left behind a rich oeuvre of writing.
See also
*
Andrés Avelino Cáceres Museum
Notes
Sources
* Basadre, Jorge, ''Historia de la República del Perú''. Editorial Universitaria, 1983.
* Tauro del Pino, Alberto, ''Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Perú''. Peisa, 2003.
External links
''Photos of Andrés Avelino Cáceres Museum in Ayacucho''Biography from Ayacucho site (in Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caceres, Andres Avelino
1836 births
1923 deaths
Peruvian generals
People from Ayacucho
Peruvian people of Basque descent
Peruvian military personnel of the War of the Pacific
Presidents of Peru
Vice presidents of Peru
Constitutional Party (Peru) politicians
Marshals of Peru
Ambassadors of Peru to Italy