American Relief after Peru’s 1970 Earthquake

The 1970 earthquake in Peru struck while Peru and the United States were in a serious dispute over the expropriation of American petroleum interests. Aid restrictions and compensation had dominated official exchanges. [1] [2]

Broken bridges and buried roads isolated communities in northern Peru after the earthquake of 31 May 1970, while an avalanche from Mount Huascarán swept over Yungay. The following day, the American ambassador forwarded Peru’s request for helicopters and supplies. Cargo aircraft soon began bringing relief from the Panama Canal Zone. [2]

Helicopters reached places the roads no longer served. After USS Guam arrived on 11 June, its aircraft carried medical teams into mountain settlements, evacuated casualties, and delivered food. American military and civilian agencies joined Peruvian authorities and the many other countries sending help, with a command post at the U.S. Embassy in Lima coordinating the American response. [5] [3]

Nixon had ordered an interagency effort to plan reconstruction on 8 June, while the scale of the damage was still becoming clear. Relief nevertheless fell short of continuing needs. Congressional investigators later praised the speed of the initial assistance but found that it had been reduced too abruptly: communities still needed shelter materials before the rains. [3] [4]

Related Diplomats

1. Fernando Berckemeyer Pazos [6] [7] [8]

Related Reading

• Peru and the United States