Óscar R. Benavides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Óscar Raymundo Benavides Larrea
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| President of Peru | |
| In office April 30, 1933 – December 8, 1939 |
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| Prime Minister | José Matías Manzanilla Jorge Prado y Ugarteche José de la Riva-Agüero y Osma Alberto Rey de Castro y Romaña Carlos Arenas y Loayza Manuel Esteban Rodríguez Ernesto Montagne Markholz |
| Vice President | Ernesto Montagne Markholz Antonio Rodríguez Ramírez |
| Preceded by | Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Prado y Ugarteche |
| President of the Government Junta of Peru | |
| In office February 4, 1914 – August 18, 1915 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Muniz Sevilla Melitón Carvajal Aurelio Sousa Matute Germán Schreiber Waddington |
| Preceded by | Guillermo Billinghurst |
| Succeeded by | José Pardo y Barreda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 15, 1876 Lima, Peru  |
| Died | July 2, 1945 (aged 69) Lima, Peru |
| Spouse | Francisca Benavides Diez Canseco |
Óscar Raymundo Benavides Larrea (born March 15, 1876 – died July 2, 1945) was an important Peruvian soldier, diplomat, and politician. He served as the President of Peru twice: first from 1914 to 1915, and again from 1933 to 1939. He was also a field marshal, which is a very high military rank.
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Early Life and Military Training
Óscar Benavides was born in Lima, Peru, on March 15, 1876. His father, Miguel Benavides y Gallegos, was a Sergeant Major in the National Guard. His mother was Erfilia Larrea.
He went to the Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Lima. Later, he joined the Military School of Lima. In 1894, he entered the Dos de Mayo Artillery Brigade. He became a Captain in 1901.
In 1906, at age 30, he finished his studies at the Military Academy in Lima with excellent grades. This academy was run by French military experts. Benavides then went to France to continue his military training. The French government honored him with the Legion of Honour, a very special award.
The Caquetá River Campaign
When Benavides returned to Peru in December 1910, he became the commanding officer of Infantry Battalion N° 9. This battalion was stationed in Chiclayo, on Peru's northern coast.
In February 1911, the Peruvian government ordered Benavides to lead his battalion to the border with Colombia. Colombia had built a fort at La Pedrera, on the Caquetá River. However, a treaty from 1909 said this area belonged to Peru.
Benavides and his troops had to travel over 2,000 kilometers. They crossed the Andes mountains and then entered the Amazon jungle. They used rafts and canoes to travel down rivers to Iquitos. From Iquitos, a small fleet of boats set out on June 29, 1911.
On July 10, they reached La Pedrera. The Colombian commander refused to leave the fort. So, Commander Benavides ordered an attack. The Peruvian forces won completely.
However, on July 24, Benavides received bad news. The Peruvian and Colombian governments had signed a new treaty. This treaty said that Peruvian forces had to leave the Caquetá River area.
On July 28, 1911, the Peruvian soldiers at La Pedrera celebrated Peru's Independence Day. But they faced many problems. They lacked proper gear to protect themselves from the jungle climate. Many soldiers got sick with yellow fever and beriberi. Without medicines, many troops died.
On August 4, Benavides returned to Iquitos. He was promoted to Infantry Colonel. But he wrote in his diary that the victory and promotion did not make him happy because of all the suffering.
The government sent Benavides to Europe to get treatment for beriberi. When he returned to Peru on April 8, 1912, he was welcomed as a national hero. A parade was held in his honor in Lima. During this time, he met his distant cousin, Francisca Benavides Diez Canseco, and they married a few months later. Benavides was then put in charge of the Third Military Region in Arequipa. In November 1913, he became the Head of the Army General Staff in Lima.
First Time as President
In 1913, Guillermo Billinghurst was the President of Peru. He had been elected in 1912. President Billinghurst faced strong opposition from Congress. He planned to dissolve Congress.
Some members of Congress decided to remove the President. They got support from Lieutenant Colonel José Urdanivia Ginés, an army officer. Billinghurst tried to arm the public to fight the army. The people who opposed Billinghurst asked Colonel Benavides for help. Benavides agreed to support them to protect the country's laws and prevent the army from splitting apart.
On February 4, 1914, the army, led by Benavides, took action. President Billinghurst agreed to negotiate. He was later removed from office and sent away to Chile.
As Chief of Staff, Benavides was chosen to lead a temporary government council. On May 15, the National Congress named him Provisional President. On December 17, Benavides was promoted to General of Brigade.
During his 18 months in power, Benavides brought back political order and stability. He chose his team carefully. Benavides then called for new presidential elections. José Pardo y Barreda won these elections and became president on August 18, 1915.
President Pardo sent Benavides to Paris in 1916 to observe World War I. He saw the Battle of Verdun. Later, in 1917, Pardo sent him to Italy as a special ambassador.
On July 4, 1919, Augusto B. Leguía became President of Peru after a military takeover against Pardo. In December 1920, Benavides left his job in Rome and returned to Lima.
President Leguía was worried that Benavides might start a revolt. So, on May 3, 1921, he had Benavides arrested. Benavides and 25 other prisoners were put on a ship called the Paita, heading for Australia. But Benavides led a revolt on the ship. They took control of the ship and changed its course to Costa Rica. From Costa Rica, Benavides traveled to Panama and then to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There, he reconnected with people who opposed Leguía. In November 1927, he moved to France.
Second Time as President
On August 22, 1930, Lieutenant Colonel Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro started a revolution in Arequipa. President Leguía resigned. Sánchez Cerro became the temporary President.
On October 3, Benavides was appointed as a special ambassador to Spain. In February 1932, he became ambassador to England. The government then called Benavides back to Peru. On March 27, 1932, he was made General-in-Chief of the Council of National Defense. His job was to lead Peruvian forces because of a new conflict with Colombia. On March 31, he was promoted to Division General.
President Sánchez Cerro was assassinated on April 30, 1933. To calm the country, the Constituent Assembly declared Benavides the new Constitutional President. He was to finish Sánchez Cerro's term. Benavides signed the new Peruvian Constitution, which lasted until 1979.
The main goals of Benavides' new government were:
- To solve the conflict with Colombia (peace was agreed upon in May 1934).
- To calm political unrest inside the country.
Benavides outlawed the Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA) party. He said it was an international party, which was against the Peruvian Constitution. He also stopped the Communist Party for the same reason.
Benavides called for presidential elections in 1936. But the results were cancelled because they favored Luis Antonio Eguiguren. The government argued that Eguiguren had the support of the APRA party.
Benavides' term was extended for three more years. He governed under the motto "Order, Peace, and Work." He made the Armed Forces stronger and bought modern weapons.
During his time as president, many important projects were completed:
- The Navy Dock and Ship Dry Dock of Callao were built.
- The Pan-American Highway was finished along the Peruvian coast, connecting Ecuador to Chile.
- The Central Highway was built. This road crosses the Andes mountains from Lima to the Amazonian Forest, reaching Tingo María.
- Road and bridge tolls were removed, making travel easier.
The government also built homes and dining halls for workers and their families. They started Workers’ Social Security and created a new Civil Code. Tourism was encouraged, and Tourist Hotels were planned for Peru’s main cities. A national census was planned, but it was carried out by the next government in 1940.
During Benavides' presidency, the second phase of rebuilding the Government Palace of Peru began. The Palacio de Justicia ("Palace of Justice") was also started.
On December 8, 1939, Benavides handed over the presidency to Manuel Prado y Ugarteche. Prado had won the general elections that year. On December 19, Prado honored Benavides with the title of Grand Marshal of Peru.
Later Life and Legacy
After his presidency, Benavides served as the Peruvian Ambassador in Madrid (1940) and in Buenos Aires (1941–1944). He returned to Peru on July 17, 1944. He helped found the Frente Democrático Nacional (FDN), a political group.
Óscar Benavides died in Lima on July 2, 1945. This was after the FDN's presidential candidate, José Luis Bustamante y Rivero, was confirmed as the winner.
See also
In Spanish: Óscar Raimundo Benavides para niños
