Villa El Salvador began in 1971 as a
squatted pueblo joven (or
shanty town) in the vast, empty sand flats to the south of Lima because of the urgent housing needs of immigrant families who had left the
sierra of central Peru. A land invasion quickly created a town of 25,000 people. By 2008, it had grown to 350,000 people. Villa El Salvador evolved into a huge urban zone, largely self-organizing, for which it won some fame. Largely through the efforts of its inhabitants, the neighborhood was supplied with electricity, water, and sewage. Villa El Salvador served as the home base for the activist
María Elena Moyano, who helped organize the
Federación Popular de Mujeres de Villa El Salvador (Fepomuves), a federation of women, which grew to encompass activities such as public kitchens, health committees, the
Vaso de Leche program (which supplied children with milk), income-generating projects, and committees for basic education. Moyano was killed by members of the
Shining Path, which used Villa El Salvador as a base in Lima. Since June 1, 1983, Villa El Salvador has been formally (by law № 23605) established as a district within the
Lima Province. In 1987, the community received a
Prince of Asturias Award in recognition of its achievements. Villa El Salvador is
twinned with
Rezé,
France and, since 2006, with
Tübingen,
Germany. == Authorities ==