Early Life
Juan Velasco was born on June 16, 1910 in Castilla, which is near Piura, a city on Peru's north coast. He was the son of Manuel José Velasco, a medical assistance, and Clara Luz Alvarado, who had 11 children. Velasco described his youth as one of "dignified poverty, working as a shoeshine boy in Piura."
He was married to Consuelo Gonzáles Arriola, and had four children.
In 1929, he stowed away on a ship to Lima, Peru, falsified his age, and joined the Peruvian Army as a private on April 5, 1929. He then took a competitive exam for entrance into the Escuela Militar de Chorrillos ("Chorrillos Military School"), and got the highest score of all applicants. In 1934, he graduated with high honors and at the head of his class.
Read more about this topic: Juan Velasco Alvarado
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