Villa El Salvador
| Villa el Salvador Distrito de Villa El Salvador | ||
|---|---|---|
| District | ||
| ||
 Location of Villa el Salvador in Lima | ||
| Coordinates: 12°3′0″S 77°0′0″W / 12.05000°S 77.00000°WCoordinates: 12°3′0″S 77°0′0″W / 12.05000°S 77.00000°W | ||
| Country |
 Peru | |
| Region | Lima | |
| Province | Lima | |
| Founded | June 1, 1983 | |
| Capital | Cercado de Villa El Salvador | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Santiago Mozo Quispe | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 35.46 km2 (13.69 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 143 m (469 ft) | |
| Population (2007 census) | ||
| • Total | 381,790 | |
| • Density | 11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | PET (UTC-5) | |
| UBIGEO | 150142 | |
| Website | munives.gob.pe | |
Villa El Salvador (VES) is an urban, largely residential coastal district on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. It borders the district of Chorrillos on the east; the Pacific Ocean on the southwest; Lurín on the southeast; Villa María del Triunfo on the east and San Juan de Miraflores on the north.
History
It began as a pueblo joven (shantytown) in the vast, empty sand flats to the south of Lima in 1970 because of the urgent housing needs of immigrant families who had left the sierra of Peru. Villa El Salvador evolved into a huge urban zone, largely self-organizing, for which it won some fame. Largely through the efforts of its inhabitants, the neighborhood was supplied with electricity, water, and sewage.
Villa El Salvador served as the home base for the activist María Elena Moyano, who helped organize the Federación Popular de Mujeres de Villa El Salvador (Fepomuves), a federation of women, which grew to encompass activities such as public kitchens, health committees, the Vaso de Leche program (which supplied children with milk), income-generating projects, and committees for basic education. Moyano was killed by members of the Shining Path, which used Villa El Salvador as a base in Lima.
Since June 1, 1983, Villa El Salvador has been formally (by law №23605) established as a district within the Lima Province. In 1987, the community received a Prince of Asturias Award in recognition of its achievements. Villa El Salvador is twinned with Rezé, France and, since 2006, with Tübingen, Germany.
Authorities
Mayors
- 2011-2014: Guido Iñigo Peralta.
- 2003-2010: Jaime Zea Usca.
- 1999-2002: Martín Pumar Vilchez.
Festivities
- October: Lord of Miracles
Historical slum photos
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Overview of the El Salvador slum, 1975
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Slum street, 1975
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Sheds in El Salvador, 1975
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Villa El Salvador District. |
External links
- (Spanish) Municipalidad de Villa El Salvador – Villa El Salvador district council official website
- (Spanish) Amigos de Villa – Association of Friends of Villa El Salvador, Lima - Perú
- (Spanish) PortalVES – District Portal Villa El Salvador, Lima - Perú
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