Background After political instability in Peru and a coup d'état in 1835, a
civil war broke out between newly self-declared president
Felipe Santiago Salaverry and constitutional president
Luis José de Orbegoso, who allowed Bolivian president
Andrés de Santa Cruz to send his troops through the Peruvian border. After the latter's triumph in 1836, assemblies were soon established to make way for the creation of the Confederation, an idea that had been floating around since the
era of independence.
Establishment A constituent assembly known as the
Sicuani Assembly was established on March 16, 1836, and closed on March 22. It featured representatives from
Ayacucho,
Arequipa,
Cuzco,
Puno and
Tacna. On April 10, Orbegoso recognized
South Peru as an independent state through a decree, and a Supreme Court was installed in
Cuzco on August 24. The assembly also created the country's flag and currency. Fines were put in place to prevent the
(now North) Peruvian flag from being flown. Provided, then, with all the legal elements granted by the assemblies of the three states, Santa Cruz decreed the establishment of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, by decree given in Lima on October 28, 1836. A congress known today as the
Congress of Tacna was ordered to meet in
Tacna to establish the foundations of the confederation. The
Pact of Tacna was signed without debate during the congress. It established the
legal framework through which the state would operate, and also included the design of the Confederation's flag. Reactions to the pact were mixed event among its signatories, and disagreements led to the establishment of one constituent congress per member state. The act was later promulgated in 1837.
Development and dissolution The Confederation generated resistance among several groups in both countries, which resented the dilution of national identities, and also among neighbouring countries. An important number of Peruvian politicians who opposed the Confederation, such as
Agustín Gamarra and
Ramón Castilla, fled to Chile where they received support, leading to the
War of the Confederation. After a trade war, the
Congress of Chile approved the declaration of war on December 26, 1836, claiming that Santa Cruz's rule over Peru was illegitimate, and that his influence threatened the integrity of other
South American nations, as seen by Orbegoso's support for an attempted invasion of Chile by
Ramón Freire, specifically pointing out that it targeted then minister
Diego Portales.
Argentina followed suit after
Juan Manuel de Rosas then
declared war on the Confederation on May 19, 1837, after the escalation of a territorial conflict in
its border, accusing Santa Cruz of harboring supporters of the
Unitarian Party. The accusations ended up being true, as Santa Cruz had financially supported the émigrés. South Peru was
invaded from October to November under the nominal leadership of
Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente as
Supreme Chief of Peru., with the occupants being surrounded and forced to sign the a
treaty, leaving the country shortly after. The treaty was declared null and void by Chile, and a second expedition headed by
Manuel Bulnes was organized, which left for Peru on July 19, 1838. Around the same time,
North Peru seceded from the Confederation on July 30, but was nevertheless attacked and defeated by the
second expedition in the
Battle of Portada de Guías of August 21. During this time, the Confederation's stability collapsed. While
Pío de Tristán continued to be president in South Peru and Santa Cruz continued to be the Supreme Protector, by September, they were two of other seven parallel presidents at one time: Gamara claimed to be the restorationist president, with his troops heading north; Orbegoso claimed the leadership of the secessionist North Peruvian state, now defeated;
José de la Riva Agüero was appointed by Santa Cruz as Orbegoso's successor;
Domingo Nieto claimed control in the north; and
Juan Francisco de Vidal claimed control in Huaylas. Santa Cruz headed for Lima, arriving on November 10, but left for the north, where the
restaurateurs were located. He was defeated in the
Battle of Yungay on January 20, 1839, and thus, the Confederation was dissolved, with Gamarra announcing its dissolution on August 25. The Confederate defeat led to the exile of Santa Cruz, first to
Guayaquil, in Ecuador, then to Chile, and finally to Europe, where he died. ==Government==