Oscar Benavides Peruvian military and political figure Date of Birth: 05.03.1876 Country: Peru

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. First Presidencia (1914-1915)
3. Diplomatic Missions and Political Exile
4. Second Presidencia (1933-1939)
5. Legacy and Death

Early Life and Military Career

Oscar Benavides, a renowned Peruvian military leader and politician, was born in Lima, Peru, in 1876. He embarked on a military career and rose through the ranks, eventually attaining the rank of Grand Marshal of Peru in 1939.

First Presidencia (1914-1915)

Benavides played a pivotal role in the political turmoil of 1914. As the Chief of Staff, he was appointed by conspirators to control the ruling junta. On May 15, 1915, Congress elected him as Provisional President. During his 18-month presidency, he restored political order and stability. Benavides subsequently organized elections, which resulted in the victory of José Pardo y Barreda, who assumed office on August 18, 1915.

Diplomatic Missions and Political Exile

President Pardo dispatched Benavides to Paris in 1916 to observe World War I firsthand. He witnessed the horrors of the Battle of Verdun and later served as Peru's ambassador to Italy. In 1919, Augusto Leguía seized power in a coup, leading Benavides to resign as ambassador and return to Lima in December 1920.

Leguía, fearing Benavides' popularity and influence among the military, ordered his arrest and deportation to Australia aboard the steamship "Paita." Benavides led a mutiny on the ship, seizing control and eventually seeking refuge in Costa Rica, Panama, and Guayaquil, Ecuador. From there, he established contacts with forces opposed to Leguía's regime and traveled to France in November 1927.

Second Presidencia (1933-1939)

Following the ouster of Leguía in 1930, Benavides was appointed ambassador to Spain and later England. In 1932, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Council as Peru faced conflict with Colombia. On April 30, 1933, President Sánchez Cerro was assassinated. To prevent political instability, the Constituent Assembly elected Benavides as Constitutional President.

Benavides' government focused on resolving the conflict with Colombia, which was achieved in 1934. To ensure stability, he dissolved both the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance and the Communist Party of Peru, citing their foreign influence.

In 1936, Benavides organized elections that were annulled due to alleged ties between the winner, Luis Antonio Eguiguren, and the APRA. As a result, Benavides' mandate was extended for another three years, during which he governed under the slogan "Order, Peace, and Work."

Legacy and Death

On December 8, 1939, Benavides handed over power to Manuel Prado y Ugarteche, the victor of the general elections. The newly elected president honored Benavides with the rank of Field Marshal on December 19. Oscar Benavides died in Lima on July 2, 1945, at the age of 69. He left a lasting legacy as a military hero and a president who restored stability and prosperity to Peru.