José Pardo y Barreda

José Pardo y Barreda before the start of his first term

José Pardo y Barreda (born February 24, 1864 in Lima , † August 3, 1947 in Miraflores ) was a Peruvian politician who was president of his country twice (from 1904 to 1908 and from 1915 to 1919).

He was the son of Manuel Pardo , who had also been (1872–1876) President of Peru and had founded the Partido Civil . José Pardo became the party leader and was foreign minister and prime minister under the presidency of Eduardo López de Romaña .

After Manuel Candamo's death , Serapio Calderón became interim president and called new elections. The Partido Civil nominated José Pardo (who was mainly supported by the so-called "Young Turks" in his party) as a candidate, while Nicolás de Piérola ran for the Democratic Party , but a week before the election date, citing "lack of guarantees "withdrew from the race.

José Pardo's term of office was characterized by a liberal policy. He pushed for better education for all Peruvians. Basic school education, which had been legally established under Manuel Pardo in 1876, was the responsibility of the country's local authorities. José Pardo decided to raise the issue with his Minister of Justice and Education.

The new law passed in 1905 reformed the country's education system and made it subject to the central government. It also formulated the principle of free and compulsory primary education even in remote places such as villages and mines. Every place with more than 200 inhabitants had to have a school. The Escuela Normal de Varones ("Normal School for Men") was founded to train male teachers, as was the "Normal School for Women" (Escuela Normal de Mujeres).

On the cultural level, he established, among others: the National History Academy, the School of Fine Arts, the National Music Academy and the National History Museum. A higher officers' school was also set up.

In his second term in office, José Pardo had to cope with the consequences of the First World War in his country and was confronted with the demands of the labor movement for an eight-hour day. This was finally officially introduced on January 15, 1919.

Shortly before the end of his term of office, José Pardo was deposed by Augusto B. Leguía .

Web links

• Texts from ten speeches to the Peruvian Congress (Spanish)