The order of battle for the Battle of Ayacucho proceeded as follows:
The Shining Path, self-named the Communist Party of Peru, is a far-left political party and guerrilla group in Peru, following Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Gonzalo Thought. Academics often refer to the group as the Communist Party of Peru – Shining Path to distinguish it from other communist parties in Peru.
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho", was a Venezuelan general and politician who served as the president of Bolivia from 1825 to 1828. A close friend and associate of Simón Bolívar, he was one of the primary leaders of South America's struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire.
Ayacucho, founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga until 1825, is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.
The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of belligerent South American states. In Peru it is considered the end of the Spanish American wars of independence in this country, although the campaign of Antonio José de Sucre continued through 1825 in Upper Peru and the siege of the fortresses Chiloé and Callao eventually ended in 1826.
The Pampas de Ayacucho Historic Sanctuary is located near the town of Quinua in the region of Ayacucho. It has an area of 3 km2 and was established in 1980 to protect the site of the Battle of Ayacucho. Since 2023, it is part of the Bicentenario - Ayacucho Biosphere Reserve.
Pedro Blanco Soto was a Bolivian soldier and politician and president of the Republic of Upper Peru, an unrecognized entity that emerged in the limits of the department of La Paz and, which claimed the territory of the Republic of Bolivia. He held the position for a short time before being killed by his opponents in a convent called La Recoletta in Sucre on New Year's Day 1829. A small plaque now marks the spot in the Museo de la Recoletta. He was well known for his pro-Peruvian stance and this is generally the reason attributed to his assassination. He was also a distinguished officer during the Peruvian War of Independence.
The Battle of San Juan, also known as the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos, was the first of two battles in the Lima Campaign during the War of the Pacific, and was fought on 13 January 1881. This battle is really a group of smaller, yet fierce confrontations at the defensive strongholds of Villa, Chorrillos, Santiago de Surco, San Juan de Miraflores, Santa Teresa and Morro Solar. The Chilean army led by Gen. Manuel Baquedano inflicted a harsh defeat on the Peruvian army commanded by the Supreme Chief Nicolás de Piérola. The Chilean triumph eliminated the first defensive line guarding Lima, and almost obliterated the Peruvian army defending it.
The Morochucos are the cowboys of the plains of the Peruvian Andes, living mainly in the Region of Ayacucho. They raise cattle and tame horses for their livelihood, and they engage in other typical activities of a cattle-horseman cowboy. They are comparable to other cowboys of Latin America such as the qorilazo, the cowboys from Cusco, also in Peru, the Chilean huaso, the Argentine/Bolivian/Uruguayan gaucho, the Spanish vaquero, the Colombian/Venezuelan llanero, and the Mexican charro.
Pedro Antonio de Olañeta y Marquiegui was a Royalist commander in the army of the Spanish Empire who fought against the South American insurgency led by Simón Bolívar. His support for Spanish absolutism and rebellion against the moderate Royalists created conflicts within the Royalist army that aided the rebels. After the defeat of the main Royalist armies, he continued the resistance, becoming one of the last Royalist commanders to hold out. Olañeta was the last Viceroy of the Río de la Plata.
The order of battle proceeded as follows:
Marayniyoq or Marayniyoc is an archaeological site in the region of Ayacucho in Peru. It lies southeast of the town of Huanta and southwest of Huamanguilla at the border of the Huanta Province, Huamanguilla District and the Huamanga Province, Pacaycasa District in a plain called Vega Pampa. It is considered a Wari site.
José Salvador Cavero Ovalle was a Peruvian lawyer, judge, university lecturer, soldier and politician.
Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda is a Peruvian attorney and politician who was the Prime Minister of Peru from 2022 until his resignation in 2024. He previously served as Minister of Defense twice, under Ollanta Humala and Dina Boluarte.
Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra is a Peruvian politician, civil servant, and lawyer who has been serving as the 64th and current president of Peru since 2022. She had served as the first vice president and minister at the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion under President Pedro Castillo. She served as an officer at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC) from 2007 until 2022.
The second siege of Callao was the longest lasting siege that occurred on the Pacific coast during the Spanish American wars of independence. The siege was carried out by the combined Gran Colombian and Peruvian independence forces against the royalist soldiers defending the Real Felipe Fortress in the port of Callao, who refused to surrender, and refused to accept the capitulation of the Battle of Ayacucho.
The Iquicha War of 1839 was a brief armed conflict during and after the War of the Confederation between the United Restoration Army and indigenous peasants from Huanta who tried to defend the defeated Peru–Bolivian Confederation.
On 7 December 2022, Pedro Castillo, the then-President of Peru, made an attempt to dissolve the Congress amidst looming removal proceedings. This move included the immediate imposition of a curfew, an attempt to establish an emergency government, and a call for the formation of a constituent assembly. Prior to this, Attorney General Patricia Benavides had accused Castillo of leading a criminal organization, a claim that contravened Article 117 of the Constitution of Peru. She had urged the Congress to remove him from office, leading to the third removal attempt against Castillo. Castillo defended his actions by arguing that the Congress, which had obstructed many of his policies, was serving oligopolistic businesses and had colluded with the Constitutional Court to undermine the executive branch, thereby creating a "congressional dictatorship". He also advocated for the immediate election of a constituent assembly, a demand that had been echoed since the 2020 Peruvian protests.
Following the ousting of president of Peru, Pedro Castillo on 7 December 2022, a series of political protests against the government of president Dina Boluarte and the Congress of Peru occurred. The demonstrations lack centralized leadership and originated primarily among grassroots movements and social organizations on the left to far-left, as well as indigenous communities, who feel politically disenfranchised. Castillo was removed from office and arrested after announcing the illegal dissolution of Congress, the intervention of the state apparatus, and the forced establishment of an "emergency government", which was characterized as a self-coup attempt by all government institutions, all professional institutions, and mainstream media in Peru while Castillo's supporters said that Congress attempted to overthrow Castillo. Castillo's successor Dina Boluarte, along with Congress, were widely disapproved, with the two receiving the lowest approval ratings among public offices in the Americas. Among the main demands of the demonstrators are the dissolution of Congress, the resignation of Boluarte, new general elections, the release of Castillo, and the formation of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. It has also been reported that some of the protesters have declared an insurgency in Punos's region. Analysts, businesses, and voters said that immediate elections are necessary to prevent future unrest, although many establishment political parties have little public support.
The Ayacucho massacre was a massacre perpetrated by the Peruvian Army on 15 December 2022 in Ayacucho, Peru during the 2022–2023 Peruvian protests, occurring one day after President Dina Boluarte, with the support of right-wing parties in Congress, granted the Peruvian Armed Forces expanded powers and the ability to respond to demonstrations. The clash occurred due to the protesters' attempt to storm the local airport. On that day, demonstrations took place in Ayacucho and the situation intensified when the military deployed helicopters to fire at protesters, who later tried to take over the city's airport, which was defended by the Peruvian Army and the National Police of Peru. Troops responded by firing live ammunition at protesters, resulting in ten dead and 61 injured. Among the injured, 90% had gunshot wounds, while those killed were shot in the head or torso. Nine of the ten killed had wounds consistent with the ammunition used in the IMI Galil service rifle used by the army.
The Juliaca massacre occurred on January 9, 2023, in the city of Juliaca, located in Peru’s Puno Department, amid widespread protests against President Dina Boluarte's government. The event marked one of the deadliest confrontations during the 2022–2023 Peruvian political protests, which erupted following the ousting and imprisonment of former president Pedro Castillo. Peruvian National Police opened fire on demonstrators, who were primarily from the Aymara and Quechua Indigenous communities, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 civilians, including a medical worker, and injuries to over 100 individuals. Most fatalities were caused by gunshot wounds, with reports indicating the use of military-grade weapons by police, sparking widespread condemnation.