History

The first inhabitants of Peru were nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived in caves in Peru's coastal regions. The oldest site, Pikimachay cave, dates from 12,000 BC. Crops such as cotton, beans, squash and pepper chilies were planted around 4000 BC. Later, advanced cultures such as the Chavin introduced weaving, agriculture and religion to the country. Around 300 BC, the Chavin inexplicably disappeared, but over the centuries several other cultures - including the Nazca, Paracas and Wari - became locally important.

By the early 15th century, the Inca Empire had control of much of the area, even extending its influence into Colombia and Chile. Between 1526-28, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro explored Peru's coastal regions and, drawn by the riches of the Inca Empire, returned to Spain to raise money and recruit men for another expedition to the country. Return he did, marching into Cajamarca, in northern Peru, before capturing, ransoming and executing the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1533. Pizarro subsequently founded the city of Lima in 1535 but was assassinated six years later. The rebellion of the last Inca leader, Manco Inca, ended ingloriously with his beheading in 1572.

The next 200 years proved peaceful, with Lima becoming the major political, social and commercial center of the Andean nations. However, the exploitation of Indians by their colonial masters led to an uprising in 1780 under the self-styled Inca Tupac Amaru II. The rebellion was short-lived and most of the leaders were rounded up and executed. Peru continued to remain loyal to Spain until 1824 when the country was liberated by two "outsiders" the venezuelan Simon Bolivar, and the argentinean Jose de San Martin. In 1866, Peru won a brief war with Spain but was humiliated by Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-83), which resulted in the loss of lucrative nitrate fields in the northern Atacama Desert. Peru also went to war with Ecuador over a border dispute in 1941. The 1942 treaty of Rio de Janeiro ceded the area north of the Rio Mara�on to Peru but the decision was fiercely contested by Ecuador.

Cuban-inspired guerrilla uprisings in 1965 led by the National Liberation Army were unsuccessful, but a series of nationwide strikes coupled with a violent insurgency by the Maoist Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) guerrillas caused political instability in the 1980s. Another guerilla group - the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) - also gained in strength during this time. However, the 1990 presidential election victory of Alberto Fujimori (erroneously known as El Chino because of his Japanese parentage) over Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, and the capture in 1992 of inspirational MRTA and Sendero Luminoso leaders buoyed hopes for a sustained period of peace. With some success during his first government, Fujimori applied for a second period (1995-2000), he had to face some opposite candidates as Javier Perez de Cuellar (he was UN Secretary for 2 periods), Alejandro Toledo (conducted the big protests after the peruvian elections where Fujimori won making cheat).

In his second period of government, Fujimori did not have many outstanding facts, except the solution to the ancient border problems with Ecuador and Chile. However, he decided to apply again for a third period, he acted against the laws, he did all the things that he wanted, the only important thing was to win the elections. There was no publicity (TV, radio, newspapers) for the opposite candidates, no interviews, no political debates, there was nothing to see, it looked like there would not celebrate elections in Peru. The day of the peruvian elections happened something strange. Toledo got the triumph with 48% against Fujimori 42%, it was said immediately the votation ended, but 3 hours later, the things changed, now Fujimori was in the first position (49%), Toledo got 42%. Obviously, people were angry and started to claim in the streets in the whole country. There was the possibility that Fujimori had got the triumph with more than 50%, so that there would not have been necessary a second round, as everyone said. There were hard days for the country, the political crisis became in a "time bomb". Fortunately, ONPE (Agency for the electoral count) published its results, and yes, there would be a second round on May 28th.

In spite of these events, the political situation did not change in Peru, all the past problems repeated. At this point, Toledo decided not to keep on "fighting", Fujimori was the only candidate, he got the triumph (51%). Most of the peruvian did not recognize his victory, all the days were protests, it repeated in the whole country. He assumed the power despite these situations. He governed Peru only for 109 days. He had to quit the presidency after the "famous video" which his main assessor Vladimiro Montesinos appeared giving money an opposition representative to change to the government (US $15000). Every day a new accusation appeared related to the president Fujimori and his "right hand Montesinos". At this point, they are both had to run away. Now, Peru is living a peaceful time, the new president Valentin Panigua is doing a good work.