National Union (Peru)
Encyclopedia
National Union was a political party
in Peru
.
It was originally called the Radical Party (Partido Radical) by one of its founders Manuel González Prada
. That name seemed too confrontational to many in the party and thus it became known as the National Union. The party grew out of a the Literary Circle and morphed into a political party in 1891.
One of the central reasons it formed was to create a party of ideas, avoiding the cult of personality that guided the more traditional parties. One of the ideas that guided it was the call for greater Europe
an immigration to Peru
. Such a stance seems to be a paradox because many of its members defended Peru's Quechua
speaking citizens. The only way to understand this paradox is to remember that the National Union was partly founded on the ideals of liberalism and that the Spanish language
was the language of commerce.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
It was originally called the Radical Party (Partido Radical) by one of its founders Manuel González Prada
Manuel González Prada
Jose Manuel de los Reyes González de Prada y Ulloa was a Peruvian politician and anarchist, literary critic and director of the National Library of Peru...
. That name seemed too confrontational to many in the party and thus it became known as the National Union. The party grew out of a the Literary Circle and morphed into a political party in 1891.
One of the central reasons it formed was to create a party of ideas, avoiding the cult of personality that guided the more traditional parties. One of the ideas that guided it was the call for greater Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an immigration to Peru
Immigration to Peru
Immigration to Peru started with the arrival of Spanish settlers during the Colonial Period. Peru is a multiethnic nation formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Amerindians inhabited Peruvian territory for several millennia before Spanish Conquest in the 16th century....
. Such a stance seems to be a paradox because many of its members defended Peru's Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
speaking citizens. The only way to understand this paradox is to remember that the National Union was partly founded on the ideals of liberalism and that the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
was the language of commerce.
Additional reading
- Manuel González Prada, "The Parties and the National Union". In Free Pages and Hard Times: Anarchist Musings. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002, 143-164.