Democracy Square (Peru)

The plaza (foreground) and the JNE headquarters (background)

Democracy Square (Spanish: Plaza de la Democracia) is a public square in the Historic Centre of Lima, Peru. It is located on the former site of the Bank of the Nation Building, which burned down in the year 2000 during the Four Quarters March.[1] The park's address is 1045 Nicolás de Piérola Avenue.[2]

In 2023, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima approved that the square be renamed after Luis Giampietri.[3]

Overview

The square is located in the Historic Centre of Lima, one block away from the Plaza San Martín and one block away from the University Park. The headquarters of the National Jury of Elections (JNE) are located in front of the park on Nicolás de Piérola avenue. The park features a small monolith in its centre with the park's name.

The park is used for public events, such as book fairs,[2] and protests, such as the 2022 Peruvian economic protests[4][5] or the 2022–2023 Peruvian protests[6]

History

Original building (1962–2000)

Banco Comercial
The building in 1965
General information
Construction started1962
Construction stopped1963
OwnerBanco de la Nación
Technical details
Floor count14
Design and construction
Architect(s)Enrique Seoane Ros

The plaza was formerly the location of a building that housed the Banco Comercial del Perú and later the Banco de la Nación.[7] The building was designed by Peruvian architect Enrique Seoane Ros, and built by Flores & Costa, S.A., a Peruvian construction firm.[7]

The building occupied an area of 3,114.78 m². It had a basement used for parking, safekeeping and a base with four floors designated to be used as office space. The building was topped by a tower with 10 extra floors, occupying a total area of 22,000 m² and costing an approximate $60 million.[7]

The building's lower façade featured marble baseboards, wall coverings in glazed national ceramics and natural color anodized aluminum doors and windows. The windows in the first floor were reinforced and the rest were tinted.[7] The lower facade also featured the name of its occupant, Banco Comercial del Perú, until it was changed to the logo of the Banco de la Nación, a circle with the bank's initials (BN) inside.

The building had 7 Schindler elevators meant for public use, plus an freight elevator for cargo. Most of the materials used in the building were specifically chosen to be from Peru instead of being imported from other countries.[7]

The building's basement was the location of the bank's vault, which had a wood finish and was designed to be easily guarded. It was also the location of a discount section that could be accessed by anyone. The building's first floor was made of grey marble.[7]

The first floor's wall that faced the Colmena avenue was decorated by a mural of Machu Picchu that measured 4 × 15 metres reproduced on canvas. The furniture was made of mahogany or aluminum and walnut. Another wall featured a collection of moneyboxes from different countries. The building's third floor had offices and a staircase with suspended steps made of concrete covered in carpet.[7]

The building's office tower was designed to work independently of the bank building, being leased to private tenants.[7]

The building after the fire.

On July 28, 2000,[8][9] amid the protests that surrounded the building and the centre of Lima known as the Four Quarters March, a fire began inside the building. Despite claims by Minister of the Interior Walter Chacón of the opposite, the fire was caused by an explosion on the building's third floor which caused the structural integrity of the building's lower floors to be compromised, causing them to collapse and worsen the gravity of the situation.[10] As a result, 6 security guards were killed in fire.[11]

The explosion was reportedly caused by undercover agents acting under orders of Vladimiro Montesinos.[9] The intent was to paint the protests in a negative light, and to link them to terrorist groups Shining Path and MRTA. The fire had been preceded by an attack on a policeman and his car, which was lit on fire, and riots caused by thugs paid organized by Carlos Regalado, who had been paid by Montesinos, to act as part of the crowd against law enforcement.[12] The JNE building across was also set on fire.[13] For his role in the bombing and the deaths of the six security guards, Montesinos was put on trial and sentenced in 2009 to 10 years in prison.[11]

Once destroyed, and its structural integrity compromised, the building was condemned and demolished in 2005, with the basement being refilled with debris from the building.[14] Plans to replace the building with a plaza were decided early on, with the new square's name originally being the Plaza of the Nation (Spanish: Plaza de la Nación), and its original design varying significantly from its final result, as it was originally meant to feature a fountain in the centre, and murals related to the event.[14]

Plaza (2006–present)

The current plaza differed from its original designs but was built and completed, being inaugurated on July 27, 2006. The inauguration ceremony was headed by now President Alejandro Toledo, who had participated in the 2000 march. His speech during the event referenced the fire and his anti-Fujimorist stance, referring to Alberto Fujimori's government as tyrannical. Kurt Burneo, the bank's president at the time of both the fire and the ceremony, was present in the event.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hamann Mazuré, Johanna (2012). "Lima: espacio público en transición. La plaza de la democracia 2006". On the w@terfront (21: Public Art. Urban Design. Civic Participation. Urban Regeneration): 83–96.
  2. ^ a b "Municipalidad de Lima realiza Feria del Libro Viejo". Municipalidad de Lima. 2018-10-28.
  3. ^ Salinas, Camila (2023-10-19). "Plaza de la Democracia en el centro de Lima se llamará Luis Giampietri". La República.
  4. ^ "Vándalos destruyen estación del Metropolitano e intentan ingresar a la sede del Jurado Nacional de Elecciones". RPP Noticias. 2022-04-05.
  5. ^ "Pedro Castillo pide a simpatizantes ser tolerantes y no caer en provocaciones". El Peruano. 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ "Así amaneció Lima luego de violentas protestas y enfrentamientos entre manifestantes y la PNP". Infobae. 2023-01-20.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "BANCO COMERCIAL". Instituto de Investigación - Universidad de Lima.
  8. ^ "El cuerpo de bomberos voluntarios del Perú en la historia". Andina. 2018-12-05.
  9. ^ a b "Estos fueron los incendios más devastadores en Lima en el siglo XXI". RPP Noticias. 2016-11-16.
  10. ^ "Sí, hubo explosión: Ocurrió en el tercer piso y provocó caida parcial del edificio del Banco de la Nación". La República. 2000-08-13. p. 3. La explosión en el tercer piso habría provocado la destrucción de las paredes, el rompimiento de las columnas y el desmoronamiento de los techos. El incendio no pudo causar tal desastre.
  11. ^ a b "Sentencian a 10 años de prisión efectiva a Montesinos por muerte de vigilantes del Banco de la Nación". Andina. 2009-08-27.
  12. ^ Ramírez, Miguel (2018-06-12). "Los infiltrados del Banco de la Nación en 'Historias Nunca Contadas'". Trome.
  13. ^ "¿Quién estuvo detrás de la violencia en la Marcha de los Cuatro Suyos?". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24.
  14. ^ a b Garay Rojas, Karina (2005-08-09). "Del horror a la esperanza". Archived from the original on 2008-08-17.
  15. ^ ""Nunca más la muerte", enfatiza Toledo al inaugurar Plaza de la Democracia". Andina. 2006-07-26.

12°03′08″S 77°02′00″W / 12.0522°S 77.0332°W / -12.0522; -77.0332

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