The Spanish fleet seizes the lightly defended…

The Spanish fleet seizes the lightly defended Chincha Islands, the principal source of Peruvian guano, on April 14, 1864, as a retaliation for the indemnity that Peru is refusing to pay.

Here, the Spaniards place the Peruvian governor Ramón Valle Riestra under arrest aboard the Resolución, occupy the islands with four hundred Spanish marines, and raise the Spanish flag.

Spain considers these islands an important bargaining tool, because they are a major source of resources for Peru and produce almost sixty percent of all governmental revenue.

The Spanish squadron also blockades the principal Peruvian ports, disrupting commerce and fostering a high level of resentment in all Latin America.