Manuel Pardo

Who was Manuel Pardo?

Manuel Justo Pardo y Lavalle was a Peruvian politician and the first civilian President of Peru.

Born into an aristocratic family of Lima, Peru, his father, Felipe Pardo y Aliaga, was a diplomatist and his mother, Petronila de Lavalle y Cabero, daughter of the 2nd Count of Premio Real.

He was educated at four schools: Commercial School of Valparaíso, National Institute of Chile, College of Our Lady of Guadalupe and San Carlos Convictorium. Lavalle studied Philosophy at University of Barcelona and Economics and Literature at the Collège de France.

Lavalle was director of Public-Benefit Society of Lima and Mayor of Lima. On 24 April 1871, he founded the Civilista Party, the most important political party of the Aristocratic Republic. He was elected president by the Peruvian Congress after a failed coup launched by colonel Tomás Gutierrez.

One of the most controversial acts committed during his presidency was the signing of a "Mutual Protection Pact" with Bolivia in 1873. The objective of this pact was to protect themselves from what they perceived as "Chilean Imperialism" and a growing desire of Chile for the allied provinces of Tarapacá and Litoral.