Croatia-Peru relations refers to the
bilateral relations between
Croatia and
Peru. Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 12, 1993. Croatia is represented in Peru through its embassy in
Santiago and through an honorary consulate in
Lima. Peru is represented in Croatia through its embassy in
Bucharest and through an honorary consulate in
Zagreb.
A large community of people of
Croatian descent live in Peru, mostly in Lima,
Callao and
Cerro de Pasco.[1] Most Croats arrived in Peru between the
Interwar period. Over a dozen families of Croatian descent live in Arequipa alone.[2] In Lima, there are over 40 families.[3]
History
20th century
Croatian immigrants to Peru first arrived during the 16th century, arriving from
Dalmatia to coastal
Peru.[4] On January 7, 1906, the Slavic Charitable Society was founded by local slavs, most of them Croats. Ivan Ostoja was named as president and the
Honorary Consul of Austria, Walter Justus, was named as honorary president.[5] In 1911, a dispute arose over which flag to use for the society, which led to some Serbian members leaving the organisation, founding a parallel society the same year that functioned until 1917, when the Serbs again joined the Slavic society after the removal of the portraits of Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria and
his consort due to the nationalist sentiment that arose during
World War I.[6]
In 1969, the Yugoslav Society moved to its current location in the district of
JesĂșs MarĂa in Lima. During this time, it became a non-profit society, changing into more of a recreational club. In 1973 it changed its name to Dubrovnik Yugoslav Association, and during the 1990s due to the
Yugoslav Wars, changing to its current name, Dubrovnik Croat Association, in 1994.[15] The club now acts as the
honorary consulate of Croatia in Peru.[16]
^Burin 2009, p. 85: ConversiĂłn de las Sociedades Slavas de Beneficiencia en Sociedades Yugoslavas de Beneficiencia: "Como consecuencia de la creaciĂłn del Estado de Yugoslavia, las Sociedades Slavas de Beneficiencia que existĂan tanto en el Callao como en Cerro de Pasco cambiaron su nombre por el de Sociedades Yugoslavas de Beneficencia.
La sociedad que habĂa sido fundada en el Callao en 1906, cambiĂł su nombre en 1922 por el de Sociedad Yugoslava de Beneficencia. Ese mismo año la instituciĂłn dejĂł la sede del Callao y se trasladĂł a Lima. Esto fue por el hecho de que la mayorĂa de los eslavos residĂa en la ciudad capital. Paulatinamente, varios de los yugoslavos que antes residĂan en el interior del paĂs (sobre todo en ciudades de la sierra central) se habĂan ido trasladando a Lima. Por ejemplo, en 1923 fue elegido NicolĂĄs Lale en el cargo de presidente de la instituciĂłn, quien habĂa sido uno de los fundadores de la Sociedad de Beneficiencia creada en Cerro de Pasco en 1881."