In 1824, Gen. Sucre consolidated South American independence by inflicting a resounding defeat on the royalist army in Peru.

On Monday, Latin American nations commemorate the independence heroes who fought in the Battle of Ayacucho on December 9, 1824, a date that marked Peru’s independence and the end of Spanish colonial rule in South America.

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The independence forces were led by Gen. Antonio Jose de Sucre, a young Venezuelan lieutenant of Liberator Simon Bolivar. That day, the patriot army, composed of 5,000 men, defeated approximately 6,000 royalist soldiers commanded by Gen. Jose Canterac, the chief of the royalist general staff.

In addition to routing the royalist forces and inflicting heavy casualties, the patriots captured many Spanish officers, including Gen. Jose de la Serna, the last viceroy of Peru. After the battle, Canterac signed a surrender treaty and abandoned further resistance.

“The Battle of Ayacucho is the pinnacle of American glory, and it is the work of General Sucre. Its planning was flawless, and its execution divine. Swift and skillful maneuvers dismantled in an hour the victors of fourteen years and an enemy perfectly structured and skillfully led. Ayacucho is the despair of our enemies,” Bolivar declared.

“General Sucre is the Father of Ayacucho: he is the redeemer of the children of the sun. He is the one who broke the chains with which Pizarro ensnared the Inca Empire. Posterity will portray Sucre with one foot on Pichincha and the other on Potosi, holding in his hands the cradle of Manco Capac and gazing upon the chains of Peru broken by his sword,” he added.

To grasp the magnitude of the independence triumph at Ayacucho, it is necessary to first look at August 6, 1824, when the Battle of Junin took place in Peru. At that time, the independence forces in the region were plagued by chaos, internal divisions, and exhaustion.

The situation was highly complex for the independence cause. The Lima aristocracy remained loyal to the Spanish crown, and the royalist troops, led by General de la Serna, held firm control over strategic territories. The independence efforts had been fragmented and faced fierce opposition despite the endeavors of Chilean General Jose de San Martin.

Bolivar, who had already liberated Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, was invited to take command of the United Liberating Army of Peru. He understood that defeating the colonial forces alone would not be enough to liberate Peru: it was also necessary to unite the various groups of patriots and organize a disciplined army capable of confronting the powerful royalist military machine.

Upon arriving in the region, Bolivar found a country mired in political controversies and internal struggles among the patriots. Additionally, the independence forces were disorganized and lacked resources.

In this challenging scenario, Bolivar entrusted Sucre with the command of the patriot troops and the mission of reorganizing them to defeat the royalist forces.

On August 6, 1824, on the plains of Junin, 900 cavalrymen of the Liberating Army charged against 1,300 cavalrymen of the Spanish army. The infantry then advanced against the enemy lines, forcing the royalist army to retreat.

During their retreat, the royalist army failed to reorganize, leaving the way open for the patriot troops to advance toward Upper Peru, boosting their morale.

Although the battle did not secure a definitive victory, it was strategically significant as it weakened the royalists and paved the way for the final triumph at Ayacucho.

teleSUR/ JF Source: teleSUR

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