Peru had been a colony of Spain for nearly 300 years when Simon Bolívar (1783-1830), along with José San Martín (1778-1850), led the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 that resulted in the end of Spanish rule of Bolivia and Peru. San Martín had declared independence on July 28, 1821, but Peru’s sovereignty was not secured until Bolívar’s forces defeated the Spanish at Ayacucho. Celebrated all over Peru, Independence Day is a public holiday. Discuss