La Punta district

The district of La Punta is one of the seven that make up the constitutional province of Callao on the central coast of Peru. It borders on the North, South and West with the Pacific Ocean and on the East with the district of Callao. Its territory is a peninsula in the shape of a point that stands out from the rest of the province (hence its name) with an extension of only 0.75 km², which makes it the smallest district in said jurisdiction.

It was officially established as a district on October 6, 1915. The current mayor of La Punta is Ramón Garay León.

History

The first inhabitants of this area were fishermen called Pitipiti who lived in modest rural huts settled on "the tip of the mainland", which, presumably, would be the current and famous Cantolao Beach. Almost a hundred years later, the French engineer Francisco Amadeo Frezier, in the book Voyage of Exploration to South America (1716), points out on the map what would later be La Punta as "punta of Callao". Several decades later, already in 1774, the geography of La Punta appears delimited on the map "El Puerto del Callao", but without any name.

Still in Colonial times we find that a row of fishermen's ranches called Pitipiti Viejo and/or San Miguel de Mancera linked La Punta and the original Puerto del Callao. Those began at the mancera gate, which was flanked by the San Luis bastion and ended at Playa de la Arenilla and Playa de San Lorenzo (currently Playa Cantolao).

In 1836, La Punta and Bellavista are integrated as part of the Province of Callao. It would be on April 22, 1857 that a grateful Ramón Castilla declared Callao a Constitutional Province, a title that he maintains, awarding it the rank of department. Finally, on November 18, 1889, during the presidency of Andrés Avelino Cáceres - called "El Brujo de los Andes" during his heroic participation in the Resistance of the Sierra against the Chileans-the limits of Callao would be set, within which La Punta is included.

The last reference before La Punta was created as a district dates from 1910. The Annual Directory of Peru, written by Pedro Paulet, states that La Punta is made up of two main streets (Jirones Medina and Sáenz Peña), two secondary schools (Jirón Ucayali and the other without a name) and a wide and leafy Plaza with elegant hotels and ranches, to the delight of the initial adventurers, avid summer raiders.

The district was created by Law No. 2141 of October 6, 1915. It has a total of approximately 1700 houses.

Dos de Mayo Combat

Réplica del Torreón de La Merced.

During the government of Pezet, controversies arose with Spain, as they demanded that the debt generated by the Independence be paid. In the course of a fleet, apparently scientific, consisting of a warship, took the Chincha Islands, the main source of tax revenue for the Nation. Consequently, the Vivanco-Pareja Treaty is signed, considered demeaning and harmful to Peru, for which Mariano Ignacio Prado leads a revolution that dismisses Pezet and annuls the Treaty, declaring war on Spain - or at least on a Spanish squadron -. None of the Latin American countries had the warlike conditions to face the peninsular Nation of Isabel II, for which reason a quadruple alliance of South American States was formed: Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, where the first two prevailed. Hard confrontations were fought on various flanks of the American coast, but the war would be defined on May 2, 1866.

The Combat was fought pointing towards the southern flank, taking advantage of the position of the Real Felipe Fortress - bastion of the Colony inherited by the Peruvian military until today - and the placement of towers on the same flank.

War with Chile

Thirteen years later, La Punta witnessed another war again. The Chileans were preparing to occupy Lima. Real Felipe was once again the center of defense. "Later (1879) two Delgran cannons of a thousand, smooth bore, and two more batteries with 9 inoperative cannons were placed in La Punta to resist the attack of the new artillery.

On April 22, the fight began in Callao, through shootouts between the two squads.

After shelling the undefended Port of Ancón, on May 27 the Chilean forces fired on the Dock Dock and on the town on the ground, and on the 29th they culminated their attack by deposing part of the Peruvian squadron.

Revolution of October 3, 1948

It was the third year of the government of President Bustamante y Ribero.

A serious economic and social crisis broke out, after which the president decided to annul Congress and set up a Ministerial Cabinet of the Army. With this, APRA loses its benefits, which is why the "Revolution" is unleashed.

In the early morning of October 3rd, the vast majority of the Junior Staff of the Navy: Sailors and NCOs, APRA militants, rose up. One of the first actions was to take the Navy Staff prisoner.

Around twelve o'clock things got serious. The Army and the Air Force arrive to depose the rebels, the Cantolao being the focus of fire.

Urban landmarks

La Punta is an eminently upper-middle-class residential district that historically housed the most renowned families of Callao, proof of this are the houses of significant historical and architectural value that it still preserves -such as the Rospigliosi mansion-. Its main access roads are Grau and Bolognesi avenues, which run east and west respectively.

It is a highly exclusive beach district, it has the facilities of important Peruvian social clubs, among which the Club Deportivo Cantolao, the University Club of Regatas, the Club de Regatas Unión, the Societa Canottieri Italia, La Punta Racing Club and the Lima Regatta Club.

Almost a third of its territory is occupied by the Naval Academy. The district has 3 beaches, to the north Cantolao, corresponding to the Malecón Figueredo; to the south Malecón, corresponding to the Malecón Pardo and Arenillas corresponding to the "Malecón Wiese".

The Cross of the Point

Probably, it is presumed, it was placed in that place as a consequence of the earthquake and tidal wave of October 28, 1746.

In 1915 again a tidal wave collapsed said cross, but without affecting it to a great extent.

However, when the Naval Academy was housed in La Punta, it would occupy the place where the Cross was located. In 1920 the profane sea attacked with another force, taking the Cross again and destroying its support base. Consequently, the new Cross would remain for four years in the Church of La Punta, until a Resolution of the Ministry of the Navy - taking pity on the pious punteños - provided that the faithful could enter the Naval School on the Feast of the Cross and return it. to his accustomed spot.

Beaches and Spas

Cantolao

Cantolao beach, between Sáenz Peña and Galvez, has an area of 800m2.

The beach is one of the most beautiful in Peru, having as an attraction the "Cantolao" The name comes from "canto" by the sound that the stones make when the waves hit and by "ice cream" since its waters are cold.

Ecological zone

The ecological zone of Callao stands out for being a paradisiacal landscape, formed by the El Frontón island, which was previously a prison; Cavinzas Island, a sanctuary for guano birds such as pelicans, guanayes, chuitas, boobies, and patillos; Palomino, where an important population of sea lions is housed; and San Lorenzo Island.

Authorities

Regionals

• Regional adviser
  • 2019 - 2022: Gabriela María Calderón Sueyras (By Ti Callao)

Municipals

• 2019 - 2022
  • Mayor: Pius Fernando Salazar Villarán of Peru Nation.
  • Regivers:
  1. Ramón Ricardo Garay León (Peru Nación)
  2. Javier Antonio De la Lama Medelius (Peru Nación)
  3. Tatiana Mercedes Angeldonis Thomas (Peru Nación)
  4. Lorena Jesús Roel Madico (Peru Nación)
  5. Otilia Martha Vargas González (We Can For Peru's Progress)