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El Comercio

El Comercio, founded in May 1839, stands as Peru’s oldest newspaper and one of the oldest Spanish-language publications worldwide. The Lima-based daily was established by José Manuel Amunátegui y Muñoz and Alejandro Villota, but ownership passed to the influential Miró Quesada family in 1876 following the War of the Pacific. The newspaper survived a four-year closure during Chilean occupation (1879-1883) and later endured six years of military expropriation under Juan Velasco Alvarado’s regime (1974-1980). El Comercio maintains a circulation exceeding 100,000 and is characterized as conservative in its editorial outlook and oriented toward business interests. Elisabeth Dulanto Baquerizo de Miró Quesada, a family member who owns El Comercio Group, signed the Madrid Charter and has helped organize events for the anti-leftist Madrid Forum, established by Spain’s far-right Vox party.

Institutional Ties

Activities Engaged