Joaquin de la Pezuela y Sanchez , penultimate viceroy of Peru. He was born in Naval (Huesca) on May 22, 1761. He was a descendant of illustrious families from the Cantabrian region. He was the son of Lieutenant Juan Manuel de la Pezuela and Muñoz de Velasco and Mariana Sánchez de Aragón. In his youth he trained at the Segovia artillery school, from which he graduated in 1778 with the rank of second lieutenant. He took part in the siege of Gibraltar (1782) and later, with the rank of captain, in the campaigns waged in Guipúzcoa and Navarra during the war against revolutionary France.
Arrival in Peru
He was later assigned to command the artillery corps in Tafalla, and was serving this position when by royal decree of August 1804 he received the commission to reorganize the artillery corps in the garrisons of Lima and Callao . He had the stripes of a colonel when he established himself for this mission in Peru, in 1805. In the capital of the viceroyalty, he promoted the construction of the Santa Catalina barracks, the establishment of a gunpowder factory and a cannon foundry, and the regulation of practices shooting. He benefited at all times with the support of Viceroy Abascal, who allowed him to demonstrate his intelligence and determination. Promoted to brigadier (1811), he became deputy inspector of artillery in all of Peru. . And then, in April 1813, he was appointed general in chief of the army that operated in Charcas against the River Plate patriots. Moving quickly to his destination, leading reinforcement troops and supplies; he restored the discipline, deteriorated by the setbacks suffered before the independentistas; and he obtained successive victories in the battles of Vilcapuquio, Ayohuma and Viluma. By merit of such services he was promoted to field marshal (1814) and lieutenant general of the royal armies (1816) .
Designation as viceroy of Joaquín de la Pezuela
By virtue of the request made by Abascal to be relieved of the position, the triumphant Pezuela was appointed on November 14, 1815 to succeed him as Viceroy, Governor and Captain General of Peru. His official entry to the city of Lima took place on August 7, 1816 . He had to assume command at a truly critical juncture, when the liberating expedition headed by San Martín was being prepared on the coast of Plata, whose advances Pezuela could not counteract despite his military experience. He tried to implement the provisions that seemed necessary for the defense of the viceroyalty, but ran into the resistance of General La Serna, who did not approve of his plan. The triumph of the patriots in Chile (1818) excited the Creole leaders of Peru and was reinforced by the subversive propaganda mission carried out on the coast by the Brown and Bouchard expedition. Once control of the coast was achieved, the arrival and installation in Huaura of San Martin's troops became possible. On January 29 the famous mutiny of Aznapuquio took place, a place where the army of the Crown was encamped. There, pretexting that the inaction of the viceroy before the entry of the liberating expedition had conditioned the dangerous situation of the royalist weapons, the superior officers that made up the War Council agreed to order Pezuela to resign command .
Return to Spain
The deposed vice-sovereign immediately withdrew with his family to the villa he had built in the town of Magdalena, near Lima, and returned without delay to his homeland (June 29, 1821). In the metropolis he was well received. He was entrusted with the captaincy general of the troops of Castilla la Nueva (1825) and he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of San Hermenegildo. He was awarded the title of Marquis of Viluma, in memory of one of his victories in Upper Peru, by royal decree of March 31, 1830. Pezuela had married Doña Ángela de Ceballos y Olarria in Santander in 1793, who married him. accompanied on his American expedition. He died in Madrid on September 24, 1830, at the age of 69 .