Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Víctor Raúl Haya De La Torre
OSP
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| President of the Constituent Assembly | |
| In office July 28, 1978 – July 13, 1979 |
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| Vice President | Luis Alberto Sánchez Ernesto Alayza Grundy |
| Member of Constituent Assembly | |
| In office July 28, 1978 – July 13, 1979 |
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| Constituency | National |
| Leader of the Peruvian Aprista Party | |
| In office September 20, 1930 – August 2, 1979 |
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| Succeeded by | Armando Villanueva |
| Leader of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance | |
| In office May 7, 1924 – August 2, 1979 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | February 22, 1895 Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru |
| Died | August 2, 1979 (aged 84) Lima, Peru |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Political party | American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Worldwide) Peruvian Aprista Party (National) |
| Alma mater | National University of Trujillo National University of San Marcos University of Oxford London School of Economics |
| Occupation | Politician, philosopher, author |
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre (February 22, 1895 – August 2, 1979) was an important Peruvian politician, thinker, and writer. He started a political movement called the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA). This movement later became the Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP), which is the oldest political party in Peru still active today.
Haya de la Torre was born in Trujillo, a city on the northern coast of Peru. He came from a well-known family. He studied at the National University of Trujillo and later at the National University of San Marcos in Lima. He quickly became a leader for students and workers. He spoke out against the government of Augusto B. Leguía because he believed in fairness for everyone.
In 1922, the government sent him away from Peru. He went to Mexico, where he founded the APRA movement in 1924. This movement aimed to unite people across Latin America. It focused on social justice and stood against powerful foreign influence in the region.
He returned to Peru in 1930 and continued his political work. He faced many challenges, including being jailed, sent away from the country, and seeking protection in embassies. He ran for president several times but faced obstacles from other politicians and the military. In 1978, he was chosen to lead the group that wrote Peru's new constitution. He signed it shortly before he passed away in 1979. Haya de la Torre is remembered as one of Peru's most influential political thinkers.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Exile and Founding APRA
- 1931 Presidential Election
- Challenges and Hiding (1931–1945)
- Working with President Bustamante (1945–1948)
- Seeking Political Asylum (1948–1954)
- The Coexistence Period (1956–1962)
- Later Presidential Campaigns
- Later Life and the Constituent Assembly
- Death
- Legacy and Ideas
- Published Works
- See also
Early Life and Education
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre was born in Trujillo, Peru, on February 22, 1895. His parents were Raúl Edmundo Haya y de Cárdenas and Zoila Victoria de la Torre y de Cárdenas. They were also cousins. Every year, on February 22, the Peruvian Aprista Party celebrates his birthday as Fraternity Day.
Haya attended the Seminary of San Carlos School and San Marcelo School in Trujillo. In 1913, he started studying literature at the National University of Trujillo. There, he became good friends with the famous Peruvian poet César Vallejo. They were part of a group of young thinkers known as the "Trujillo bohemia," later called the North Group.
He then moved to Lima to study law at the National University of San Marcos. In 1917, he met Manuel González Prada, a politician and writer who greatly influenced his political ideas. Haya de la Torre was one of the people who carried González Prada's coffin when he died in 1918.
Becoming a Student Leader (1919–1923)
In January 1919, Haya de la Torre joined students and workers who were fighting for an eight-hour workday. While he wasn't the main leader of this strike, it marked the start of his active role in Peruvian politics. In October of that year, he was elected president of the Peruvian Student Federation.
He worked with many different groups in society. He led movements for university reform and supported workers' rights. He helped create "popular universities" in 1922, which were night schools for workers. These schools were named "González Prada" and helped form the basis for his future political party.
Haya also spoke out against the government of Augusto B. Leguía. Leguía was trying to stay in power for a very long time, a period known as the Eleven-Year Rule. One major protest Haya led was against the government's plan to officially dedicate the country to the Sacred Heart. During this protest on May 23, 1923, a student and a worker died. This event became a symbol of students and workers uniting. The dedication ceremony was eventually canceled.
Haya also helped run a student-worker magazine called Claridad with José Carlos Mariátegui. In October 1923, Haya was arrested and sent to El Frontón prison. He went on a hunger strike and was later deported to Panama.
Exile and Founding APRA
After a short stay in Panama and Cuba, Haya de la Torre traveled to Mexico. He arrived in Mexico City on November 16, 1923. There, he learned about the Mexican Revolution and its social changes.
In Mexico City, on May 7, 1924, he founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA). Haya de la Torre wanted APRA to be a movement for all of Latin America. He presented the "flag of Indoamerica" to students in Mexico, saying it would represent young people and later the people in their struggles.
Two years later, he explained APRA's main ideas in a document called What is the APRA?. It was first published in English in London in 1926. This document outlined the five basic points of the Aprista doctrine.
In September 1924, he visited Russia and learned about the Russian Revolution. He also traveled through Switzerland, Italy, and France. In 1925, he moved to England. He studied economics at the London School of Economics and anthropology at the University of Oxford. He later became a professor at Oxford in 1964.
Haya focused on creating a strong movement for people in "Indoamerica" (his term for Latin America). APRA's first committees were formed in Paris, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and La Paz. APRA started as a force against powerful elites and foreign control. It was connected to Marxism but disagreed with communism, which Haya saw as a system that controlled everything.
In 1927, he published his first book, For the Emancipation of Latin America. In May 1928, he finished The anti-imperialism and APRA, which was published in 1935. He returned to America in November 1927, visiting Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. He was then sent back to Europe in December 1928. He stayed in Berlin and other cities until June 1931.
The government of Leguía was overthrown in Peru in August 1930. Haya returned to Peru and officially founded the Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP) on September 20, 1930.
1931 Presidential Election
After being exiled, Haya de la Torre returned to Peru to run for president in the 1931 Peruvian general election. He was the candidate for the new Peruvian Aprista Party. He was greeted by huge crowds in Talara, his hometown, and Lima. In Lima, he spoke about his party's plans, including the government's role in the economy.
APRA's campaign used new methods in Peru. They painted slogans on walls, used nicknames for candidates, and included young supporters. They had their own hymn and a party flag. Supporters were called "companions" and waved white scarves. Haya became a very important figure in the party, seen as "Victor Raúl," "the boss," and "the guide."
The official results showed Haya came in second place with 35% of the votes, behind Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro. However, Haya and APRA never accepted these results or the new government.
Challenges and Hiding (1931–1945)
The government of Sánchez Cerro was very strict and often used force. Haya de la Torre was arrested, and APRA's members in Congress were removed in January 1932. This led to protests across the country. In Trujillo, an APRA uprising happened, leading to clashes with the Peruvian Army. The uprising was put down harshly, and many Apristas were arrested or killed.
The Peruvian Congress changed the Constitution to ban "international" parties. Because of this, the government declared the Peruvian Aprista Party illegal in 1932. President Sánchez Cerro was killed in April 1933. An APRA member was identified as the killer, but there was no proof that APRA leaders planned it.
After Sánchez Cerro's death, General Óscar R. Benavides became president. Haya was released from prison in August 1933, and other Aprista prisoners were also freed. However, after another Aprista plot in November 1934, the government started persecuting APRA again. This began a period of "great hiding" for Haya and his supporters, which lasted until 1945.
In the 1936 presidential elections, APRA supported Luis A. Eguiguren. He received the most votes, but Congress canceled the election. They claimed that Eguiguren's votes came from members of an illegal party, which was a very unusual reason.
Working with President Bustamante (1945–1948)
In 1945, the Peruvian Aprista Party was allowed to be legal again. They joined a group called the National Democratic Front (FDN). Haya de la Torre agreed to support José Luis Bustamante y Rivero as the FDN's presidential candidate. On May 20, 1945, Haya appeared in public for the first time in ten years. He gave a speech to a huge crowd in Plaza San Martín.
Bustamante y Rivero was elected president. Haya and his party had a strong presence in Congress. They helped pass laws that benefited the Peruvian people. However, they also pushed for faster reforms, which angered some conservative groups. This led to a period of disorder. APRA was banned again in 1948. After a military takeover by General Manuel A. Odría, Haya had to go into hiding.
Seeking Political Asylum (1948–1954)
Haya de la Torre was pursued by the new government. He found safety in the Colombian embassy in Lima. He stayed there for sixty-three months because the Odría government would not let him leave the country safely. This situation became a famous case in international law.
In 1954, Haya was finally allowed to leave Peru due to international pressure. He had friends like Albert Einstein who supported him. He published an article where he began to talk about "democratic anti-imperialism without empire." Some historians believe Haya changed some of his original ideas during this time. He wrote a book called "Thirty Years of Aprismo," where he looked back at APRA's position and updated its plans.
The Coexistence Period (1956–1962)
In 1956, the main presidential candidates promised to make the APRA party legal again. Because of this, Haya de la Torre supported Manuel Prado Ugarteche, who represented powerful economic groups. Prado won the election with APRA's help. This period was called "coexistence" because different political groups worked together.
Haya and his party, which had once been against powerful elites, now supported a government that represented them. They hoped to gain power legally and make changes. Years later, Haya said he had misjudged the situation and thought the elites were stronger than they were.
Later Presidential Campaigns
1962 Presidential Election
In the 1962 elections, Haya returned to Peru to run for president again. He was the candidate for the Peruvian Aprista Party. He received 33% of the votes, slightly more than Fernando Belaúnde (32%) and Manuel A. Odría (29%).
Since no candidate won enough votes, Congress was supposed to choose the president. However, the Armed Forces did not want Haya to become president. They claimed there was fraud in the election. On July 18, a military coup took place, led by General Ricardo Pérez Godoy. They removed President Manuel Prado Ugarteche and canceled the elections. A military government was put in place.
1963 Presidential Election
In 1963, the military government called for new elections. Haya ran for president for the third time with the Peruvian Aprista Party. Fernando Belaúnde ran again with his party, Popular Action.
Belaúnde won the election with 36% of the votes, while Haya came in second with 33%.
APRA-UNO Alliance (1963–1968)
During the government of Fernando Belaúnde, Haya and his party formed an alliance with Manuel A. Odría's party, called APRA-UNO. This alliance controlled Congress and often disagreed with Belaúnde's government. They opposed many of the government's plans, including a land reform law. They also removed several of Belaúnde's cabinet ministers.
Later Life and the Constituent Assembly
Military Government Period
After the military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado took power, political parties like APRA were banned. However, in 1970, Haya stated that the military's reforms were based on his own ideas. He felt they should have given him credit.
During this time, Haya created a group within his party to find and train talented young leaders. From this group, Alan García, who would later become president of Peru, emerged as a key figure.
Constituent Assembly (1978–1979)
Haya led the public pressure to make the military government of Francisco Morales-Bermúdez return power to civilians. A Constituent Assembly was formed on July 28, 1978, after elections in June. APRA won 37 seats, and Haya was elected with over a million votes. Because he received the most votes, he was chosen to lead the Constituent Assembly. His salary as president of the Assembly was a symbolic 1 sol de oro.
The new constitution was written in less than a year. Haya was not present for the last few months due to his declining health. Luis Alberto Sánchez, the First Vice President, took over as acting president of the Assembly. During this time, Haya was considered a strong candidate for the 1980 presidential election.
Death
On July 12, 1979, Haya signed the new Constitution from his sickbed. He was suffering from lung cancer. Haya passed away on August 2, 1979, at his home in Ate District. Before his death, he was awarded the Order of the Sun of Peru, a high honor. Many party leaders were with him when he died, including Luis Alberto Sánchez and Alan García. The President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, sent his condolences to Haya's brother.
His coffin was taken to the party headquarters, where a large crowd of supporters gathered. They accompanied his remains from Lima to his hometown of Trujillo. He was buried in the Miraflores General Cemetery in downtown Trujillo. His tomb has a large rock with the words "Here lies the light."
Legacy and Ideas
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre's ideas are seen as very important and sometimes complex in Peruvian history. He wrote many books and gave speeches that have been interpreted in different ways.
Haya believed that imperialism (when powerful countries control weaker ones) was the final stage of capitalism in developed nations. But in developing countries like Peru, he saw it as the first stage. He argued that powerful countries were mainly interested in taking raw materials from these nations, not helping them industrialize fully. Because of this, he said, development in these countries was slow.
He thought that the solution for Latin American countries was to unite and deal with powerful nations as equals. He believed that three groups would lead this change: young industrial workers, farmers, and the struggling middle class. With these groups in power, the government would protect its people instead of serving foreign interests.
Haya strongly believed in a "Latin American" approach to Latin American problems. He called for the region to reject both U.S. influence and Soviet communism. He used the term "Indoamerica" to emphasize the need for Latin American countries to work together and fight for their progress. He saw APRA as the political organization that would lead this anti-imperialist resistance.
Today, people continue to study and discuss Haya's ideas. His successor and former president, Alan García, wrote a book called The Constructive Revolution of Aprismo (2008). In it, García explored the history of APRA's ideas and how they changed over time. He argued that APRA sometimes misunderstood the military government's reforms, thinking they were similar to Haya's ideas when they were actually quite different. Other historians have debated García's views.
Published Works
Haya de la Torre wrote many books about Aprista ideas and issues in Peru and Latin America. Most of his works can be found in the National Library of Peru. Some of his published works include:
- 1923 Dos cartas de Haya de la Torre
- 1927 Por la emancipación de América Latina
- 1928 El anti-imperialismo y el APRA
- 1930 Ideario y acción aprista
- 1931 Teoría y táctica del aprismo
- 1932 Impresiones de la Inglaterra imperialista y la Rusia soviética
- 1932 El plan del aprismo
- 1932 Construyendo el aprismo
- 1933 Política aprista
- 1935 ¿A dónde va Indoamérica?
- 1936 Ex-combatientes y desocupados
- 1940 La verdad del aprismo
- 1942 La defensa continental
- 1946 Cartas a los prisioneros apristas
- 1946 ¿Y después de la guerra, qué?
- 1948 Espacio-tiempo-histórico
- 1956 Treinta años de aprismo
- 1956 Mensaje de la Europa nórdica
- 1957 Toynbee frente a los problemas de la Historia
See also
In Spanish: Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre para niños
- Asylum (Colombia/Peru)
- Politics of Peru
- List of presidents of Peru
