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| El Mercurio de Lima | |
|---|---|
| Name | El Mercurio de Lima |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Founder | Pedro de Valdivia |
| Founded | 1839 |
| Language | Spanish |
| Headquarters | Lima |
El Mercurio de Lima is a Peruvian daily newspaper based in Lima with origins in the 19th century and a long presence in the Peruan press landscape. The paper has intersected with events such as the War of the Pacific, the Tacna and Arica dispute, the Aristocratic Republic, and transitions involving figures like Augusto B. Leguía, Juan Velasco Alvarado, and Alberto Fujimori. As a print institution it has competed with outlets including El Comercio, La República, Caretas, and Expreso.
Founded in the 19th century amid political upheaval following the Peruvian War of Independence and the collapse of the Spanish Empire, the newspaper developed during eras dominated by leaders such as Ramón Castilla, Manuel Pardo y Lavalle, and the era of oligarchic rule associated with the Aristocratic Republic. In the 20th century it covered conflicts including the Chincha Islands War aftermath, the War of the Pacific, and diplomatic crises like the Leticia Incident while reporting on administrations from Óscar R. Benavides to Fernando Belaúnde Terry. During the military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado the paper faced censorship pressures similar to those encountered by El Comercio and La Prensa. In the 1990s its coverage intersected with the Fujimori administration, the Shining Path conflict, and the Iquitos coca eradication debates.
Ownership histories involve prominent families and corporate groups that parallel holdings such as those of El Comercio Group and media conglomerates found in Argentina and Chile, reflecting patterns seen with organizations like Grupo Clarín and El Mercurio (Chile). Board members and executives have included business figures with ties to firms listed on the Lima Stock Exchange, financiers connected to banking houses like Banco de Crédito del Perú and industrialists similar to those in Compañía Peruana de Vapores. Management changes often mirrored political shifts involving administrations of Alberto Fujimori, Alejandro Toledo, and Ollanta Humala.
The paper's editorial stance has ranged from conservative and oligarchic positions during the Aristocratic Republic to anti-communist tones during the Cold War era, engaging with debates tied to APRA, Aprismo, and right-wing movements akin to those around Sí Salomón? and other conservative leaders. Editorials addressed economic policies such as those advocated by technocrats influenced by institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and political campaigns involving figures like Alejandro Toledo, Alan García, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. The newspaper influenced public opinion during constitutional crises comparable to the Peruvian constitutional crisis of 1992 and parliamentary conflicts like those involving the Congress of the Republic of Peru.
Published primarily in Spanish in a broadsheet format, the newspaper has adapted to competition from television networks such as Panamericana Televisión, radio stations like RPP Noticias, and digital platforms comparable to online editions. Distribution networks reached major urban centers including Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo, and Cusco with circulation affected by events such as strikes by unions like those affiliated with the Peruvian Journalists' Federation and logistical challenges similar to those that affected Correo. Circulation figures fluctuated during crises like hyperinflation in the 1980s and the economic reforms of the 1990s spearheaded by finance ministers related to programs by the IMF.
Contributors have included journalists, columnists, and intellectuals comparable to figures like Mario Vargas Llosa, Alfredo Bryce Echenique, César Vallejo-era commentators, and political analysts in the mold of Héctor Béjar and Gustavo Gorriti. Editorialists and editors have engaged with cultural critics, historians, and legal scholars associated with institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, the National University of San Marcos, and international correspondents linked to agencies like Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Photojournalists, cartoonists, and investigative reporters at the paper have operated alongside peers from Caretas and other investigative outlets.
The paper has faced controversies including accusations of biased reporting during electoral contests involving Alan García and Alberto Fujimori, conflicts over press freedom during states of emergency like those declared in the Internal conflict in Peru, and legal disputes akin to libel cases brought by politicians and businessmen. Critics from outlets such as La República and public intellectuals from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and National University of San Marcos have challenged its editorial slant, while international watchdogs concerned with press freedom have compared its record to media controversies in neighboring countries like Chile and Argentina.
Culturally, the newspaper participated in literary and artistic debates involving writers linked to movements represented by Amauta, the Indigenismo current associated with figures like José Carlos Mariátegui, and the broader Hispanic American literary scene including Jorge Luis Borges and Pablo Neruda. Socially, its coverage influenced urban debates in Lima on migration from regions such as Ayacucho, Cusco, and Puno during periods of internal displacement related to the Shining Path insurgency and responses coordinated by ministries akin to the Ministry of the Interior (Peru). The paper’s archives remain a resource for historians studying episodes like the War of the Pacific aftermath, the Leticia Incident, and 20th-century Peruvian political realignments.
Category:Newspapers published in Peru