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,
Israel–Peru relations Israel–Peru relations Israel–Peru relations are foreign relations between Israel and Peru. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1957. Israel has an embassy in Lima. Peru has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Sephardic merchants settled in Peru more than a century ago. Jews have lived in Iquitos during the late 19th century rubber boom. In 1998 Israel and Peru agreed to talks on establishing free trade between the two countries. During the devastating earthquakes that have hit Peru (1970, 2005, 2007), Israel was the first country to send help. Israel sent the distinguished Israel Defense Forces Unit 669 Search and Rescue