Andrés Avelino Cáceres
The indomitable 'Wizard of the Andes' who led a punishing guerrilla campaign against Chilean invaders, becoming a symbol of Peruvian resistance.
1836–1923 (age 87)·27th and 30th President of Peru·Birthday: November 10
Biography
Andrés Avelino Cáceres was a soldier's soldier, a man whose name became synonymous with national defiance. When the Peruvian army was shattered in the War of the Pacific, Cáceres refused to surrender. Retreating into the harsh central highlands, he organized a fierce and brilliant guerrilla resistance, mobilizing indigenous peasants to wage a relentless war of ambushes and raids against the occupying Chilean forces. This brutal campaign earned him his folk-hero nickname and kept the flame of Peruvian sovereignty alive. After the war, he parlayed his immense popularity into the presidency, serving two turbulent terms focused on national reconstruction. His political career, however, was marred by controversy and ended in a civil war that forced him into exile. History remembers Cáceres not as a perfect statesman, but as the stubborn, tactical genius who embodied Peru's will to fight when all seemed lost.
#1 When Andrés Was Born
The biggest hits of 1836
Andrés's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1836Born
1841Started school
1849Became a teenager
1852Could drive
1854Could vote
1857Turned 21
1866Turned 30
President: Andrew Johnson
1876Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1886Turned 50
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Turned 60
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1906Turned 70
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 80
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Died at 87
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
Key Achievements
- Organized and led the heroic guerrilla resistance in the Peruvian Andes during the Chilean occupation (1881-1883).
- Served twice as President of Peru, first from 1886 to 1890 and again from 1894 to 1895.
- Fought in key battles of the War of the Pacific, including the Battle of Tarapacá and the defense of Lima.
- Was a central figure in the founding of the Constitutional Party, a major political force in late-19th century Peru.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'El Brujo de los Andes' (The Wizard of the Andes), was given by Chilean soldiers who feared his elusive tactics.
He was seriously wounded at the Battle of Tacna, shot in the shoulder and left for dead on the battlefield.
During his exile after his second presidency, he served as Peru's ambassador to several European nations.
His daughter, Zoila Aurora Cáceres, became a notable writer and feminist activist.
“Peru will not be occupied while a single soldier still draws breath.”
