Folk Figure. Victor Apaza Quispe was a Peruvian citizen who was executed by firing squad, marking the final instance of the death penalty in Peru. His execution preceded President Juan Velasco Alvarado's decision to abolish the death penalty for common crimes. Following a two-year trial, Apaza Quispe, a Quechua speaker, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1971 for the murder of his partner, Agustina Belisario, in La Joya, Arequipa. Police found Agustina's body on February 2, 1969. Different accounts suggest that Apaza, after a brief absence, returned and fatally attacked his partner with a stone, later reporting her disappearance, alleging she had left with someone else. However, Apaza's defense lawyer argued that Apaza acted in self-defense during an altercation when Agustina attempted to strike him with a stone. Apaza intervened, leading to her accidental death when she fell and hit her head on a train track. Post-execution, Apaz garnered a reputation as a "popular saint," with numerous locals from Arequipa attributing miracles to him.
Folk Figure. Victor Apaza Quispe was a Peruvian citizen who was executed by firing squad, marking the final instance of the death penalty in Peru. His execution preceded President Juan Velasco Alvarado's decision to abolish the death penalty for common crimes. Following a two-year trial, Apaza Quispe, a Quechua speaker, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1971 for the murder of his partner, Agustina Belisario, in La Joya, Arequipa. Police found Agustina's body on February 2, 1969. Different accounts suggest that Apaza, after a brief absence, returned and fatally attacked his partner with a stone, later reporting her disappearance, alleging she had left with someone else. However, Apaza's defense lawyer argued that Apaza acted in self-defense during an altercation when Agustina attempted to strike him with a stone. Apaza intervened, leading to her accidental death when she fell and hit her head on a train track. Post-execution, Apaz garnered a reputation as a "popular saint," with numerous locals from Arequipa attributing miracles to him.
Bio by: Juanfe
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