{{Short description|1975 riot in Lima}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Limazo | partof = the [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru]] | image = Ejército patrulla las calles en el Limazo de 1975.jpg | image_size = 325px | caption = Military vehicles during the riots | date = 3–5 February 1975 | place = [[Lima]], Peru | result = {{ublist|Suppressed by the [[Peruvian Army]]}} * Persecution of [[communists]] by the [[Peruvian Armed Forces]] | combatant1 = {{flagdeco|Peru|state}} [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru|Peruvian government]] *[[Image:Flag of Peru (war).svg|border|22px]] [[Peruvian Armed Forces]] **{{flagicon|Peru|army}} [[Peruvian Army]] *[[Peruvian Investigative Police|Investigative Police]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Huelga policial: Cuando la anarquía tomó Lima |url=https://elcomercio.pe/blog/huellasdigitales/2015/02/huelga-policial-cuando-la-anarquia-tomo-lima/ |date=2015-02-04 |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]] |publisher=Archivo Histórico El Comercio}}</ref> | combatant2 = {{flagdeco|Peru|state}} [[Law enforcement in Peru|Peruvian police]]{{efn|The Peruvian police was then divided into three independent branches: the [[Civil Guard (Peru)|Civil Guard]] (GC), [[Peruvian Investigative Police|Investigative Police]] (PIP) and [[Republican Guard (Peru)|Republican Guard]] (GR). Of the three, the first was the oldest and had the largest number of members and the largest budget. In 1988 the three branches were unified by the [[Alan García|García]] government into the [[National Police of Peru]] (PNP).}} *[[Republican Guard (Peru)|Republican Guard]] *[[Civil Guard (Peru)|Civil Guard]] {{flagicon image|Flag of APRA.svg}} [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance]] * Student Revolutionary Alliance (ARE) '''Supported by'''<br />{{flag|United States}} (alleged) * {{flagicon image|Flag of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.svg}} [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] (alleged) | units1 = '''Peruvian Army:''' *[[2nd Army Division (Peru)|2nd Army Division]]<ref>{{Cite journal |title=La crisis y las multitudes: Lima, 5 de febrero de 1975 |last=Panfichi |first=Aldo |journal=Debates en Sociología |publisher=[[Pontifical Catholic University of Peru|Fondo Editorial PUCP]] |year=1983 |issue=9 |pages=31–63 |location=Lima |doi=10.18800/debatesensociologia.198301.002 |language=Spanish |url=https://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/debatesensociologia/article/view/6888/7030|doi-access=free }}</ref> **Armored Division<ref>{{Cite book |title=El 'Limazo' |last=Zileri Gibson |first=Enrique |publisher=[[Caretas]] |year=2000 |language=Spanish |url=http://www.chs-peru.com/Reporte/Boletinpasados/010807/Documentos/hp75zileri.pdf}}</ref> | units2 = '''Civil Guard:''' *9th Region **''Radio Patrulla'' Garrison {{flagicon image|Flag of APRA.svg}} [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] militants<br> {{flagicon image|Flag of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.svg}} [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] (alleged) | commander1 = {{flagdeco|Peru|state}} [[Juan Velasco Alvarado]] | commander2 = {{flagdeco|Peru}} Insurgent members of the [[Peruvian Civil Guard|Civil Guard]]<br> {{Flagicon image|Flag of APRA.svg}} [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] militants | casualties1 = 71 killed and wounded | casualties2 = 170 killed and wounded<br>1,012 arrested<br>53 policemen prosecuted }} The '''Limazo''' (from [[Lima]] and the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] suffix ''azo'', meaning blow or violent), also known as the '''Febrerazo''', was a police [[strike action|strike]] and [[Civil disorder|citywide unrest]] that occurred in [[Lima]], beginning on February 3, 1975. The unrest was allegedly instigated by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]], and was violently suppressed by the [[Peruvian Armed Forces]] by February 5.
The chaos and perceived lack of proper government response caused by the insurrection brought as a consequence the worsening of the political crisis faced by the government of [[Juan Velasco Alvarado]], which would be deposed by [[Tacnazo|a coup d'état]] by [[Francisco Morales Bermúdez]] in August 1975, ending the first phase of the [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru|revolutionary government]].
==Background== The [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru|Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces]] that seized power in 1968, had for over 6 years introduced a series of reforms, mostly of a [[nationalism|nationalist]] and [[left-wing]] nature. One of them involved the expropriation of media. The television stations and radios were expropriated in November 1971 and, at midnight from Friday 26 to Saturday 27 July 1974, the headquarters of the last Lima newspapers that still maintained their autonomy, ''La Prensa'' (owned by [[Pedro Beltrán Espantoso|Pedro Beltrán]]), ''Ultima Hora'', ''[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]'', ''Correo'', and ''Ojo'', were occupied. As a consequence of the expropriations, for the first time in the streets of Lima there were demonstrations against the government. On July 28–30, in the district of [[Miraflores District, Lima|Miraflores]], a protest was organized in the streets and squares of Lima. In response, more than 400 civilians were detained and government propaganda limited itself to ridiculing the protest, referring to it as being of an oligarchic nature.
==Timeline== Popular discontent also reached members of the [[National Police of Peru|police]], mostly from popular and lower middle sectors, who felt neglected by the military forces, who considered them as “auxiliary forces” and, furthermore, had no representation whatsoever in government agencies. Other causes of police discontent were their low salaries and an incident where a subordinate of the Civil Guard publicly was insulted and slapped by the Head of the Military House, General Enrique Ibáñez Burga, for failing to comply with his orders of not allowing journalists to approach the President's vehicle.<ref>{{Cite news|title=HACE 40 AÑOS EL MALTRATO FÍSICO Y VERBAL A UN SUBALTERNO DE LA GUARDIA CIVIL DETONÓ LA PEOR HUELGA POLICIAL DEL PAÍS|url=http://utero.pe/2015/02/05/hace-40-anos-el-maltrato-fisico-y-verbal-a-un-subalterno-de-la-guardia-civil-detono-la-peor-huelga-policial-del-pais/|last=Diaz Pardo|first=Giancarlo|date=2015-02-05|work=Utero.pe|archive-date=2022-11-14|access-date=2021-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114080406/http://utero.pe/2015/02/05/hace-40-anos-el-maltrato-fisico-y-verbal-a-un-subalterno-de-la-guardia-civil-detono-la-peor-huelga-policial-del-pais/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Heridos por el Ejército del Perú durante el Limazo de 1975.jpg|thumb|right|A tank drives past two wounded civilians during the unrest]] The police demonstration began on Saturday, February 1, 1975, and the next day it spread from police station to station, forming a representative commission that was installed at the headquarters of ''Radio Patrulla'', on 28 de Julio Avenue in the district of [[La Victoria District, Lima|La Victoria]]. The policemen threatened a total strike if their claims were not addressed; When the negotiations failed, they consummated the threat and on Tuesday the 5th Lima was completely unguarded. In the late afternoon of that day, the consequences began to be felt, especially due to traffic congestion and the increase in robberies and crime.
Around midnight from Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 February, armored units of the Army besieged ''Radio Patrulla'' demanding the surrender of the police leaders and the end of the strike; As there was no response, at four in the morning the premises were seized violently. Many policemen fled and others surrendered. In the surrounding neighborhoods, the population could hear the clatter of machine guns and the roar of tanks. Due to the military siege of the area, which prevented access, it was never possible to specify the number of deaths and injuries among the strikers. The official version denied that there had been casualties. After completing its work, the Army withdrew.
In the streets of Lima the situation was one of uncertainty. The population feared leaving their homes, but little by little the lack of control resulting from the strike motivated criminal groups and opponents of the regime to form vandalism mobs that dedicated themselves exclusively to [[looting]] and [[arson|setting fires]]. The mobs ran through the city and set fire to the Military Casino (located in [[Plaza San Martín, Lima|San Martín Plaza]]), the premises of the ''Correo'' newspaper and the Civic Center (where the government's ''[[:es:Sistema Nacional de Apoyo a la Movilización Social|SINAMOS]]'' offices were located). These attacks were reportedly led by [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|Aprista]] students who were attempting to direct looting of government buildings. The rioters then headed towards the headquarters of the ''Expreso'' newspaper, but its workers blocked the entrances with huge reels of paper and defended themselves. At the same time, the rest of the city was looting shops and supermarkets.<ref name=lr>{{Cite news|title=5 de febrero: El "Limazo" que acabó con el régimen de Velasco|url=https://larazon.pe/5-de-febrero-el-limazo-que-acabo-con-el-regimen-de-velasco/|date=2020-02-05|work=La Razón}}</ref>
From the Government Palace the departure of the troops of the II Military Region, based in Lima, was ordered by General Leonidas Rodríguez Figueroa. The troops, mounted in tanks, tanks and even helicopters, left at noon and repressed the looters with blood and fire. Likewise, through an official statement, the government suspended constitutional guarantees and declared a curfew as of 6 in the afternoon. On the 6th, it was arranged that the curfew was at 8 p.m. Later it was at 10 p.m., and finally at midnight, but some time passed without her being able to retire permanently.
From the [[Government Palace (Peru)|Government Palace]] the departure of the troops of the II Military Region, based in Lima, was ordered by General Leonidas Rodríguez Figueroa. The troops, mounted in tanks and helicopters, left at noon and violently repressed the looters. Likewise, through an official communiqué, the government suspended constitutional guarantees and declared a curfew from 6 in the afternoon. On the 6th, it was arranged that the curfew was at 8 p.m. Later it was at 10 p.m., and finally at midnight.
==Aftermath== [[File:Diario Correo post incendio 1975.png|thumb|right|''Correo'' headquarters after the fire.]] The government officially accused the CIA and the Aprista Party of encouraging the riots and protests,<ref name=lr/> and general discontent by the Peruvian public continued to increase as a result of the event. The official figures released by the government were: 86 dead, 1,550 wounded, 1,012 detained and 53 police officers on trial.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Historia del Perú|last=Portocarrero Grados|first=Ricardo|publisher=Lexus Editores|year=2000|isbn=9972-625-35-4|location=Lima|pages=1105|language=Spanish|others=As told by Aldo Panfichi and Dirk Kruijt, included in ''El Perú Contemporáneo''}}</ref>
The [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] was criticized, with ''[[Correo (newspaper)|Correo]]'', whose building had been attacked during the events, publishing a caricature of [[Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre]] surrounded by [[arson]]ist thugs with the caption "Only APRA will ''burn'' Peru", in reference to the party's motto, "Only APRA will save Peru".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.limalaunica.pe/2010/09/lima-sufre-5-de-febrero-de-1975.html|title=5 de febrero de 1975|date=2010-09-05|website=Lima la única}}</ref>
The same year there was talk about an [[Juan Velasco Alvarado#Chile|imminent declaration of war]] against [[Chile]], giving the date, according to rumors, as the first days of August in commemoration of the [[battle of Junín]]. These provisions were not fulfilled and the situation became definitely unsustainable, since unemployment and the cost of living rose constantly while inflation reached 24% due to the lack of investment due to insecurity. Finally, on August 29, a [[Tacnazo|coup]] led from Tacna by General [[Francisco Morales Bermúdez]], former Minister of Finance of the regime, dismissed Velasco and began the second phase of the [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru|Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces]].
==See also== *[[Tacnazo]]
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{coord missing|Peru}}
[[Category:20th-century mass murders in Peru]] [[Category:Labour disputes in Peru]] [[Category:Riots and civil disorder in Peru]] [[Category:1975 mass murders]] [[Category:1970s in Lima]] [[Category:Fires in Peru]] [[Category:1975 murders in Peru]] [[Category:1975 labor disputes and strikes]] [[Category:1975 riots]] [[Category:Crime in Lima]] [[Category:Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru]] [[Category:Building and structure arson attacks in South America]] [[Category:Arson in 1975]] [[Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1975]] [[Category:Looting in South America]] [[Category:Attacks on mass media offices]] [[Category:Attacks on government buildings and structures in South America]] [[Category:Attacks on supermarkets]] [[Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Peru]] [[Category:Rebellions in Peru]] [[Category:Attempted coups d'état in Peru]]