Information about the city Mollendo
Mollendo is a town bordering the Pacific Ocean in southern Peru. It is located in the Arequipa Region and is the capital of both the Islay Province and the Mollendo District. Mollendo was the main port in the Peruvian southern coast until Matarani was developed about 50 years ago; the port of Mollendo only serves fishermen for the local economy currently and all the commercial shipping is done through Matarani 12 kilometers north; the old port is in ruins. From about 1830 to 1880 it was important in the Guano trade.
The railroad used to run a passenger train daily, but a good highway connects Mollendo to the Panamerican Highway now and the train now only runs the summer express that goes down from Arequipa on Saturday and returns on Sunday; the beach is the main attraction, even though it is visited by the Humboldt Current that brings cold water from Antarctica.In the summer months, which run from January to March, the population more than doubles as people from the largest city in the region Arequipa use Mollendo and its beaches as a vacation spot, especially on weekends. Mollendo exports wool and has industries producing cement, textiles, canned fish, and cheese. It is also a popular beach resort. The Auxiliary Ship BAP Mollendo (ATC-131) of the Peruvian Navy is named after the town.
About 1300, the legendary Inca Mayta Cápac, puts the regions of Arequipa and Moquegua under the control of the Inca empire. Sixty three years later, and according to Garcilaso de la Vega, the Inca Cápac Yupanqui, following traditional customs of the Inca Empire, selected four generals from his major staff and entrusted them the command of approximately twenty thousand soldiers (or Tuqui Titos) for the coast region conquest project.
Cápac Yupanqui's son, Sinchi Rocca, conquered all of Arequipa and Moquegua coast area. From this event and ahead, Tambo is a main protagonist into the region history, due their geographical position and serving as weapons and food supply depot. Inca Yáhuar Huácac, successor of Inca Cápac Yupanqui, established his supply depots and headquarters in this valley, to march into Atacama (north Chilean region) direction to expand the territory of the Inca Empire.
During the War of the Pacific Mollendo was invaded by Chilean forces under the command of Colonel Orozimbo Barbosa. The main idea of this army (transported by the Chilean Navy) was to wreak havoc on Southern Peru, so as to force the process of negotiations for peace between Peru and Chile. The invasion forces consisted of the 3rd Chilean Line Infantry Regiment, The Chilean Marines, One brigade of Chilean Sappers, and 30 Horse Cavalry. The defenses of Mollendo consisted of two small forts with no cannon ( which were days earlier transported to Arequipa) defended by 100 soldiers. The first to disembark were the Chilean Marines, who took the town without a struggle. The rest (Main Body) of the expedition landed on or near Islay, without opposition. On March 9, 1880, the Main Body of the expedition entered Mollendo. Colonel Barbosa with 500 soldiers left Mollendo towards Mejia in search of the defenders, leaving the 3rd Chilean Line Infantry in charge of the town, looting of homes quickly began. Colonel Barbosa arrived in Mejia, destroying the locomotives and railtracks to prevent reinforcements arriving from Arequipa via rail. Colonel Barbosa surprised the defenders at Ensenada, taking 20 prisoners. Upon his return to Mollendo, he learned of the sacking of the town, punishing some members of his command. This resulted in some desertions.
Information about the city La Libertad
La Libertad is a region in northwestern Peru. Formerly it was known as the Department of La Libertad (Departamento de La Libertad). It is bordered by the Lambayeque, Cajamarca and Amazonas regions on the north, the San Martín Region on the east, the Ancash and Huánuco regions on the south and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is Trujillo, which is the nation's third biggest city. The region's main port is Salaverry, one of Peru's largest ports. The name of the region is Spanish for "freedom" or "liberty"; it was named in honor of the Intendencia of Trujillo's proclaiming independence from Spain in 1820 and fighting for that.
During the viceroyalty of Peru, the La Libertad region, together with the present-day regions of Lambayeque, Piura and Tumbes regions in Peru, and Guayaquil and El Oro Province in Ecuador, were all within the jurisdiction of the Intendencía de Trujillo. These were included in the domain of the city of Trujillo; together they comprised the Departamento de Trujillo of the viceroyalty.
After the Intendencía joined the emancipation cause and was the first to gain independence from Spain, in 1825 the Congress of the Peruvian republic changed the name to Departmento de la Libertad. Since the late 20th century, Peru has decentralized its government. All former Departments in Peru are now called Regions; their governors are elected, and they have more independent authority in decisionmaking.
La Libertad is the only Peruvian region that includes all three natural regions of the nation: coast, Sierra (highlands), and selva (rainforest).
Trujillo, the capital, has a strategic location, near where the Andes come closest to the coast. Seen from Trujillo, the Andes appears as a row of low-elevation hills. The Andean Plateau increases altitude sharply to the east, in the provinces of Otuzco and Santiago de Chuco. These two provinces comprise the Pacific hydrographic watershed, which give rise to the Moche and Virú rivers, to the south, and Chicama River to the north. Pacasmayo Province, located more to the north, is along the coast. To the east, Sánchez Carrión Province waterways drain into the Amazon River and thus belong to the Atlantic Ocean watershed.