Pedro Pablo Atusparia , leader of an indigenous rebellion that broke out in Huaraz (Ancash department) during the civil war between the military leaders Andrés A. Cáceres and Miguel Iglesias. As mayor of the town of Marián, near Huaraz. Atusparia drafted a memorial against the excesses of the prefect Francisco Noriega who, arbitrarily managing the income of the town, varied the documents of the contributions with a desire for personal gain; he likewise made the Indians work arbitrarily and rudely by reinstating a personal service. Finally, what caused the uprising to explode was the prefect's attempt to restore the indigenous tribute or contribution.
Uprising in the alley of Huaylas
All the mayors of the Callejón de Huaylas protested, peacefully and respectfully, for this last measure; however, Atusparia was imprisoned and tortured so that he would declare who had written the memorial. In this way, 40 mayors refused to collect the contribution and went to demand the freedom of Atusparia; in this incident the prefect ordered that they be humiliated by cutting their hair, a sign of authority and dignity. Irritated, the mayors ordered their Indians to attack the abusive authorities and free the prisoners. Armed with stones, machetes, pikes and around 300 rifles that they had stolen from the Chilean army during the Pacific War, the inhabitants took Huaraz on March 1, 1885; They raided various commercial establishments, mainly Asian, and at night bonfires appeared on the hills .
Atusparia was recognized as leader of the rebellion in his capacity as supreme delegate of the indigenous communities. Trying to avoid useless excesses and commanding disoriented hosts, Atusparia headed north of the area and took the town of Carhuaz. In the localities inhabited mainly by Indians he was received triumphantly and he established his improvised headquarters in the town of Mancos; Soon Yungay and Caraz, and even some indigenous villages, also fell under his rule.
from the neighboring department of Huánuco, on the other side of the Cordillera Blanca, celebrated the triumphs of Atusparia. The situation lasted about two months until the Lima government, led by General Andrés A. Cáceres, sent an expedition under the command of Colonel José Iraola. This was initially defeated by "Ushcu Pedro", an alleged miner and lieutenant of Atusparia, and forced to retreat towards Casma. However, reorganized, it advanced again disconcerting the rebels and recapturing Yungay. Between April 21 and May 3, Iraola's troops dominated the rebels until they took Huaraz . In one of the clashes, the writer Luis Montestruque, editor of the insurgents' newspaper called El Sol de los Incas, died. . Atusparia was wounded and imprisoned; he was carefully attended to for his vain attempts to control excesses and prevent pointless deaths. He was called to Lima and received by President Cáceres, who promised to defend the Indians of the Callejón de Huaylas in the claims they had made.
Death of Pedro Pablo Atusparia
However, upon returning to Huaraz, Atusparia was poisoned during a banquet offered by the mayors. The most radical Indians, commanded by the so-called "Ushcu Pedro", continued the rebellion. This Indian only accepted in his ranks men who spoke Quechua as their only language and rejected those who spoke Spanish. He called for the return of the Incas and the repudiation of everything Western using a millenarian message. He even recaptured Huaraz for nine days and continued to raid him until he was captured and executed (September 1885).