Diego de Aliaga

Diego de Aliaga Sotomayor y Santa Cruz (September 9, 1784 – November 4, 1825) was a Peruvian politician and aristocrat who served as the first Vice President of Peru, from 1823 to 1824, under the presidency of José Bernardo de Tagle y Portocarrero, Marquis of Torre Tagle, appointed by the Peruvian Congress.

Early life[]

Aliaga was born on September 9, 1784, in Lima, Peru to Sebastian de Aliaga and Maria Santa Cruz. He began his career as a lieutenant of the regiment of the nobility, and was later promoted as a captain and guard of Halberdiers till 1817, which was largely an honorary position.

Politics[]

At the same time, de Aliaga involved himself in commerce and communicated with conspirators who wanted to overthrow the Spanish monarchy from Peru. Gradually his interest for independence began to wane. But when José de San Martín declared Peru an independent state, he became active in the newly independent Peru. He became vice-president of the republic in 1823.

When Royalist forces invaded Peru, he and the president left their jobs and handed dictatorial power to Simon Bolivar. But then he and the president reached a backroom deal with the royalists, who failed to re-capture Peru.

Death[]

Fearing reprisals of Simon Bolivar, he and the president took refuge in a castle and died in 1825 of scurvy, in Callao, Peru. After his death, he was exonerated of treason charges but his assets were taken away.

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