Felipe Pardo and Aliaga (1806 – 1868), was a poet and politician. He was the son of Manuel Pardo Ribadeneira, hearer of the audiences of Lima and Cuzco, and of Mariana de Aliaga y Borda. He was born on June 11, 1806 and by family ties belonged to the highest colonial aristocracy. He spent his childhood in Cuzco, where his father held the position of regent of the Royal Court (1806-1815), and witnessed the social upheaval in the southern Andes in those years, especially the violent rebellion of the Angulo brothers and of the curaca of Chincheros, brigadier Mateo Pumacahua (1814). Because of his uncompromising loyalty to the Crown, his father was about to be hanged by the rebels. Felipe Pardo went to Lima and, after independence, left Peru and moved to Spain with his family. In the Peninsula he studied a careful classical vocation at the Colegio de San Mateo, under the direction of Alberto Lista. He then went to the Mirto Academy, where he came into contact with Ventura de la Vega, José de Espronceda and other well-known writers of the time. He returned to Lima in 1828 and worked as a lawyer. He led The Conciliator (1829–1833), an official newspaper addicted to the Agustín Gamarra regime, he frequented the conservative and authoritarian gathering of José María de Pando and collaborated in the Mercurio Peruano, a daily spokesperson for the fellow members. From then on, Pardo fought liberal regimes such as that of Luis José de Orbegoso (1834) from newspapers loaded with satire:El Hijo del Montonero , The Coconut of Santa Cruz and For Boys . He continued with his political participation mediating in the conflict between Gamarra and Salaverry and remained in Chile when General Andrés de Santa Cruz had Salavery shot after the battle of Socabaya. He was opposed to the Santa Cruz project to confederate Peru and Bolivia and edited a newspaper in Santiago, El Intérprete (1837), from which he criticized and satirized Santa Cruz. Back in Peru he was again deported (1840) to Chile. During the Directory of Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco he held the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1843-1844) and he held that position again during the first government of Ramón Castilla (1848-1849). Afflicted by health problems, he had to withdraw from political life dedicating himself to his literary work.
Marriage and children of Felipe Pardo y Aliaga
He married Petronila de Lavalle y Cabero, and his children were Manuel, president of Peru between 1872-1876, Mariana, Francisca and Felipe. Affected in his last years by paralysis and blindness, he died in Lima on December 25, 1868.
Important works by Felipe Pardo y Aliaga
Behind his personal attitude, conservative and authoritarian, was the experience of a chaotic era, colored by military caudillismo and the economic crisis, in opposition to the times of the viceroyalty; and although his social group had not lost real power, it had to be maintained even at the cost of supporting an authoritarian military officer who would guarantee order. He wrote three comedies having as a framework the profile of his time:Fruits of education (1828), An orphan in Chorrillos (1833) and Don Leocadio and the anniversary of Ayacucho (1833); also a brief series of costumbrista articles published in the newspaper The mirror of my land (1840 and 1859); and satirical poetry, among which those compiled by Alberto Tauro in La Nariz (1957) and La Jeta (1835) stand out. Various writings that show Pardo's literary versatility have also been collected in Poesías and prose writings, with a prologue by his son Manuel Pardo y Lavalle (París, 1869), and in Poesías, with an introduction and notes by Luis Monguió (Berkeley, 1973). ).