Ayacucho
[key], city, capital of Ayacucho dept., S central Peru. It is a commercial center in a rich
mining region that produces gold, silver, and nickel. Agriculture and light industry are the
mainstays of the economy. On the plains of Ayacucho, near the city, Antonio José de
Sucre crushingly defeated (Dec. 9, 1824) Spanish forces
under Viceroy José de la Serna. The battle not only secured
Peruvian independence from Spain but also marked the triumph of the revolutionary forces in
all Spanish South America. Known as Huamanga since the 16th cent., the city was renamed after
the battle. It has a university and many fine examples of Spanish colonial
architecture. In the 1980s and early 1990s it was
the center of the terrorist group the Shining Path.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: South American Political Geography
