Agustín Gamarra, born on August 27, 1785, in Cuzco, was an important political and military figure in 19th-century Peruvian history. He served as president of Peru twice, from 1829 to 1833 and again from 1839 to 1841. Gamarra is best known for his active role in both internal and external conflicts during this period and for his failed attempts to unite Peru and Bolivia into a single nation.
Born into a modest family, Gamarra began his military career at a young age, joining the Spanish colonial army. However, when independence movements began to emerge in South America, he quickly switched sides to support the patriot cause. He fought under the command of Simón Bolívar and played a key role in the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824, which marked the end of Spanish rule in Peru.
After independence, Gamarra became one of the country’s leading political and military figures. He was first appointed president in 1829, at a time when Peru was still unstable and torn by rival political factions. During his first term, he sought to restore order and consolidate the power of the Peruvian state. However, his government was marked by internal conflicts, particularly with the liberal faction that opposed his conservative and centralist policies.
One of the most notable aspects of Gamarra’s career was his obsession with merging Peru and Bolivia into a single political entity. In 1836, when Bolivian general Andrés de Santa Cruz formed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, Gamarra became one of its most fervent opponents. He allied with Chile to oppose the Confederation, and in 1839, after victory at the Battle of Yungay, the Confederation was dissolved, and Gamarra returned to power for his second presidential term.
During his second term, Gamarra pursued his ambition to annex Bolivia to Peru, which he saw as a strategic and political necessity. In 1841, he invaded Bolivia with the intention of incorporating it into Peru. However, this invasion led to his defeat and death at the Battle of Ingavi on November 18, 1841. Gamarra's death ended his ambitions of uniting the two countries, and the subsequent Bolivian invasion created tensions between the two nations for years.
Agustín Gamarra is now seen as a complex figure in Peruvian history. On the one hand, he is viewed as a competent military leader and a ruler who sought to unify and stabilize the country after independence. On the other hand, his imperialist ambitions and authoritarian tendencies often led to both internal and external conflicts. His desire to control Bolivia marked the end of his career and left a mixed legacy in Andean regional politics.