Armando Villanueva
Encyclopedia
Armando Villanueva Del Campo (born November 25, 1915) is a historical leader of the Peru
vian American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
, better known as APRA
. Born in Lima, his parents were Pedro Villanueva Urquijo, a gynecologist in the city, and Carmen Rosa Portal del Campo. His only legitimate sibling was his older brother Ing. Pedro Villanueva del Campo Portal. Pedro was never involved in politics.
At the age of 15 Villanueva became a member of APRA's Juventud Aprista in opposition to the military dictatorship of Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro
. At the age of 18 he was imprisoned in El Frontón
prison (located on the small island of San Lorenzo
off the coast of Callao
, Lima's main port) for his subversive activities in Peru. He was a political ally and personal friend of Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
, the founder and most prominent leader of the APRA party.
Villanueva spent most of his early life in different prisons for his political activities. In 1940, along with other APRA political activists, Villanueva was exiled to Chile
. Between the 1940s and 1960s Villanueva would spend his time in between Peruvian prisons and deportations to Chile and Argentina. While living in Santiago he met and married Lucia Ortega. They had a daughter: Lucia del Pilar Villanueva Ortega.
In late 1961, before a general amnesty was granted to members of APRA, Villanueva entered Peru quite clandestinely. He needed to start organizing the multiple party cells in preparation for their return to full political activities. Afraid that he would caught, he sought refuge at his cousin's house in San Isidro. Ana Maria Villanueva de Riva-Vercellotti was married to an Italian, and Armando was convinced that Peru's secret police would never find him there. He was able to stay there, unperturbed, till full amnesty was granted.
From 1963 to 1968 Villanueva served as a deputy in the lower house of the Peruvian legislature representing Lima
, serving as President of the House of Deputies from 1966 to 1967. Villanueva led the Aprista opposition to the military government of Juan Velasco.
The death of Haya de la Torre in 1979 propelled Villanueva as leader of the APRA party. As leader of the party Villanueva ran for the Presidency in 1980 resulting in a second place loss to the Popular Action party candidate Fernando Belaúnde. It is said that he lost the elections because the opposition mounted a negative campaign against him, claiming that he was married to a Chilean born citizen. Many in Peru still have not gotten over the fact that Chile won the Guerra del Pacifico in 1883, which resulted in Peru losing a large chunk of its southern border to Chile.
In 1985 Villanueva was elected to the Peruvian Senate and given the position of President of the Senate. During the Presidency of Alan García he was given the position of President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). In 1990 Villanueva was elected to his last term in the Senate, from 1990 to 1992.
Villanueva retired in 2005 at the age of 90, to dedicate the rest of his life to his family and writing. He still has contact with the party's hierarchy. In May 2005, with the death of his cousin Ana Maria, he also assumed the title of family patriarch, an honor he still holds as of 2010.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
The Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana is a centre-left Peruvian political party.At the legislative elections held on 9 April 2006, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 36 out of 120 seats in the Congress of the Republic...
, better known as APRA
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
The Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana is a centre-left Peruvian political party.At the legislative elections held on 9 April 2006, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 36 out of 120 seats in the Congress of the Republic...
. Born in Lima, his parents were Pedro Villanueva Urquijo, a gynecologist in the city, and Carmen Rosa Portal del Campo. His only legitimate sibling was his older brother Ing. Pedro Villanueva del Campo Portal. Pedro was never involved in politics.
At the age of 15 Villanueva became a member of APRA's Juventud Aprista in opposition to the military dictatorship of Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro
Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro
Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro was a high-ranking Peruvian army officer and President of Peru from 1931 to 1933. On August 22, 1930, as a lieutenant-colonel, he overturned the eleven-year dictatorship of Augusto B...
. At the age of 18 he was imprisoned in El Frontón
El Frontón
El Frontón is an island off the coast of Callao, Peru.For much of El Frontón's history, the island was used as a prison. Fernando Belaúnde Terry, who was twice president of Peru, was imprisoned on the island as a political prisoner. During his imprisonment, Belaúnde Terry made an unsuccessful...
prison (located on the small island of San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo Island, Peru
San Lorenzo Island is the largest island of Peru. The island is in the Pacific Ocean near the port of Callao and measures .-Access:As of 2011, San Lorenzo is not open to the public...
off the coast of Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Lima's main port) for his subversive activities in Peru. He was a political ally and personal friend of Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre was a Peruvian political leader who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance political movement.-Life:Haya de la Torre was born in the northern Peruvian city of Trujillo...
, the founder and most prominent leader of the APRA party.
Villanueva spent most of his early life in different prisons for his political activities. In 1940, along with other APRA political activists, Villanueva was exiled to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Between the 1940s and 1960s Villanueva would spend his time in between Peruvian prisons and deportations to Chile and Argentina. While living in Santiago he met and married Lucia Ortega. They had a daughter: Lucia del Pilar Villanueva Ortega.
In late 1961, before a general amnesty was granted to members of APRA, Villanueva entered Peru quite clandestinely. He needed to start organizing the multiple party cells in preparation for their return to full political activities. Afraid that he would caught, he sought refuge at his cousin's house in San Isidro. Ana Maria Villanueva de Riva-Vercellotti was married to an Italian, and Armando was convinced that Peru's secret police would never find him there. He was able to stay there, unperturbed, till full amnesty was granted.
From 1963 to 1968 Villanueva served as a deputy in the lower house of the Peruvian legislature representing Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, serving as President of the House of Deputies from 1966 to 1967. Villanueva led the Aprista opposition to the military government of Juan Velasco.
The death of Haya de la Torre in 1979 propelled Villanueva as leader of the APRA party. As leader of the party Villanueva ran for the Presidency in 1980 resulting in a second place loss to the Popular Action party candidate Fernando Belaúnde. It is said that he lost the elections because the opposition mounted a negative campaign against him, claiming that he was married to a Chilean born citizen. Many in Peru still have not gotten over the fact that Chile won the Guerra del Pacifico in 1883, which resulted in Peru losing a large chunk of its southern border to Chile.
In 1985 Villanueva was elected to the Peruvian Senate and given the position of President of the Senate. During the Presidency of Alan García he was given the position of President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). In 1990 Villanueva was elected to his last term in the Senate, from 1990 to 1992.
Villanueva retired in 2005 at the age of 90, to dedicate the rest of his life to his family and writing. He still has contact with the party's hierarchy. In May 2005, with the death of his cousin Ana Maria, he also assumed the title of family patriarch, an honor he still holds as of 2010.
External links
- American Popular Revolutionary Alliance Official Site