Peru was heavily indebted, and political in-fighting was again on the rise. Peru embarked on a railroad-building program that helped but also bankrupted the country. In 1879, Peru entered the War of the Pacific which lasted until 1884. Bolivia invoked its alliance with Peru against Chile. The Peruvian Government tried to mediate the dispute by sending a diplomatic team to negotiate with the Chilean government, but the committee concluded that war was inevitable. Chile declared war on 5 April 1879. Almost five years of war ended with the loss of the department of Tarapacá and the provinces of Tacna and Arica,
Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland major Marxist group in the country. It participates in the build-up of the Broad Left Front (FAI). The general secretary of the party, Alberto Moreno, was the FAI candidate in the 2006 presidential elections. The official organ of the Central Committee of the party is called "Patria Roja". Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland (in Spanish: "Partido Comunista del Perú - Patria Roja") is a political party in Peru founded in 1970, through a split in the Peruvian Communist Party - Red Flag. It is led by Alberto Moreno and Rolando Breña.