

286 POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 



troops, who made prisoners of their officers, put an end to the authority 

 of the Dictator Bolivar, and freed Peru from the presence, as well as 

 the expense, of foreign troops. 



Immediately after this event, General La Mar was elected and 

 proclaimed President of Peru. He was a native of Guayaquil, reputed 

 to be a mild and just man, had been brought up in the Spanish army, 

 and was attached to General San Martin; but he appears to have been 

 ill adapted to rule over such a people as the Peruvians. At first his 

 election was popular, and his name took the place of that of Bolivar 

 over all the gates, &c, in the City of Kings. 



At this change every demonstration of joy was witnessed. The 

 Colombian troops were sent to the neighbourhood of Guayaquil, when 

 they attempted a revolution against the Colombian authorities in 

 Guaymas and Quito, (about forming the republic of Equador,) in which 

 they were partially successful, but were soon put down by General 

 Flores. These acts led to hostilities between Colombia and Peru, and 

 in the beginning of 1828, La Mar marched to the frontiers of Colombia, 

 without any declaration of war, with a part of the Peruvian forces, 

 leaving General Gamarra, a native of Cusco, who had been the cause 

 of so much revolution and bloodshed in Peru, to follow with a second 

 division of Peruvian troops. At this time General Santa Cruz (who 

 had been for a short time President of Peru,) was President of Bolivia, 

 and he, together with Gamarra and Lafuente, conspired to overthrow 

 La Mar, after which Santa Cruz was to be proclaimed President of 

 Peru, Gamarra Vice-President, and Lafuente Minister of War. 



With this plan in view, Gamarra joined La Mar on the frontiers of 

 Colombia. The battle of Portete took place soon afterwards, when, 

 in consequence of the treachery or cowardice of Gamarra, the Peru- 

 vians were beaten, and capitulated on the field of battle to General 

 Sucre, who was opposed to them with a much inferior force of 

 Colombians. A treaty was signed, but was soon violated by the 

 Peruvians, and hostilities again commenced. Another division of the 

 Peruvian army, one thousand five hundred strong, which had been 

 acting in Bolivia, embarked from Arica, under Lafuente, to join La 

 Mar, in the north. They arrived at Callao, and were disembarked 

 against La Mar's orders, and shortly after Lafuente overthrew the 

 government at Lima, whilst Gamarra arrested La Mar in the north, 

 and banished him to Costa Rica, in Central America, where he shortly 

 afterwards died. 



Lafuente ejected all the officials, and assumed the government in the 

 name of Gamarra. 



Gamarra and Lafuente, having thus secured the army and govern- 



