Castrovirreyna Province

The Castrovirreyna province is one of the seven that make up the department of Huancavelica in southern Peru. It borders on the north with the province of Huancavelica; to the east, with the province of Huaytará; to the south, with the department of Ica, and to the west, with the department of Lima.

From the hierarchical point of view of the Catholic Church, it is part of the diocese of Huancavelica.

Toponymy

This province, like the homonymous district, takes its name from the city of Castrovirreyna, capital of both circumscriptions.

History

Map of Huancavelica in 1865

The first groups or societies that were formed in Huaytará and Castrovirreyna were those of the Anccaras and Chocorvos, who were affiliated with the Chancas. In the districts of Castrovirreyna —Arma, Aurahuá, Ticrapo, among others— there are vestiges of the Inca presence and domination.

In colonial times, the role of the provinces of Huaytará and Castrovirreyna was important for an economy that was based on the extraction, processing and shipping of mercury, since quicksilver descended through their territories towards the port of Chincha. The transport was carried out in leather skins or wooden boxes, which were carried by llamas and alpacas prepared for this journey. The route was Huancavelica-Castrovirreyna-Huaytará-Chincha-Arica.

Its impoverishment during the Republic has to do with the progressive decrease in mining activity and the role of landowners who will gain a greater presence by appropriating communal lands. In this period, the area passed from the economic power of the mining owners to the domination of an agrarian oligarchy based on the ownership of the land by the church and the landowners.

In Castrovirreyna, the agrarian reform process will be insufficient to change its social, economic, political and institutional situation. Sporadic experiences, such as the constitution of the rural community of Castrovirreyna, emerged on the basis of church lands and private properties, meant an alternative development in the province.

To these structural factors of the province are added the consequences of the political and social violence of the internal war (terrorism) of the eighties and nineties, whose main consequences were:

• A generational vacuum of twelve to fifteen years that has broken the socio economic structure of the province.
• Disabling the community organization, social and productive organizations and local institutions.
• The displacement of the families that began from the centers populated to district and province capitals, and from these capitals to cities such as Huancavelica, Huancayo, Lima, Chincha, Cañete, Pisco and Ica.
• Deactivation of mining activity that generated job opportunities.
• Debilitating the cultural identity of each district-based centre, and also of the province.
• Debilitating the productive system, with the poor distribution system of agricultural land.
• Deficient productive infrastructure — road systems, irrigation, night reservoirs, among others — which has generated the fragmentation of districts with the capital of province and region, and greater coordination with the coast.
• Abandonment of educational, health and basic sanitation infrastructure.

This province appears in the decree of June 21, 1825, by which elections were called for the departments and provinces for the first time. Castrovirreyna has continued, since then, in the category of province in the laws and decrees that, on elections, have been issued to date. By decree of February 16, 1866, the provincial capital was moved to the town of Huaytará, the law of September 30, 1867 restored the provincial capital to the city of Castrovirreyna; By Law No. 4015, of December 29, 1919, the provincial capital was again transferred to the town of Huaytará, which was elevated to the category of city by Regional Law No. 228, of August 16, 1920; Finally Law No. 9561, of January 14, 1942, moved the provincial capital to the city of Castrovirreyna.

As can be seen, due to the different previous legal provisions, the provincial capital has been repeatedly transferred from one city to another.

Geography

It covers an area of 3984.62 km².

Administrative division

The province is divided into thirteen districts:

1. Castrovirreyna, created at the time of independence.
2. Arma, created at the time of independence; the law of October 24, 1893, gave its capital, the people of its name, the title of villa.
3. Aurahuá, created by Regional Law No. 344 of 6 September 1920.
4. Chapels, created by Act No. 9299 of 22 January 1941.
5. Chupamarca, created by law of 2 January 1857; this district was annexed from the province of Yauyos by decree of 16 February 1866; the law of 25 October 1898 ratified this decree.
6. Cocas, created by Act No. 5349 of 18 January 1926.
7. Huachos, created at the time of independence; Regional Law No. 527 of 12 September 1921, gave its capital, the people of its name, the title of villa.
8. Huamatambo, created by Act No. 9505 of 12 January 1942.
9. Mollepampa, created by Law No. 12363 of 20 June 1965.
10. San Juan, created by Act No. 9505 of 12 January 1942.
11. Santa Ana, created by Law No. 15369 of 8 January 1965.
12. Tantara, created by Act No. 4207 of 12 January 1921.
13. Ticrapo, created by Regional Law No. 344 of September 6, 1920.

Population

The province has a population of approximately 20,402.

Capital

The capital of this province is the city of Castrovirreyna.

Authorities

Regionals

• Regional adviser
  • 2019-2022: Gianina Sánchez Almonacid (Independent Movement Working for All)

Municipals

• 2019-2022
  • Mayor: Mario Encarnación López Saldaña, of the Ayni Regional Movement.
  • Regivers:
  1. Rubén Emilio Rivas Quispe (Regional Movimiento Ayni)
  2. Pedro Félix Ramírez Lucas (Regional Movimiento Ayni)
  3. Luis Alberto García Gonzalo (Movimiento Regional Ayni)
  4. Haydée Conce Paucar (Ayni Regional Movement)
  5. Freddy Willthon Colquepisco Herrera (Huancavelica Sostenible)

Festivities

Its main festivities are the Patronal Festival of San Roque, from August 14 to 18; then, the descent of Niño Jesús de Praga, from January 2 to 10, and the political creation of the province of Castrovirreyna, which is from June 16 to 21.