In the early 1880’s, Don Alfredo Mejia, the patriarch of a notable Tacabamba family, along with his wife Magna, settled in La Bamba de Luzcapampa, near the front of the
city. He was known for his passion for his land and his love of firearms.
Beleaguered by litigation over border disputes regarding his lands, he dealt with relentless pressure from the Villacorta family, who were landowners from the Chetilla
and Lascan with a distinguished political background. This intensified matters seeing as the Villacortas were supporters of the Peruvian President, Augusto B. Leguia, while the
Mejias were sympathizers to the revolutionary Arturo Osores.

WIth their children; Artidoro, Dina, Mabila, Aurelio Primero, Salomon, Alfredo and Aurelio Segundo, they were an outstanding example of bravery, courage and intelligence. They had to endure the most trying and devastating socio-political period of the Peruvain people, to the point of succumbing to the chaos of the unrelenting lawlessness that was taking over their region.

After much tension and many intense disputes, the people of Chetilla, known as chetillanos, stood their ground and were very savvy to their adversaries tactics. One
morning in the early 1900’s (1918-1922), the Mejia’s were attacked by surprise and their home was surrounded. They knew the circumstances were dire and they wasted no time in defending themselves. Many casualties were a result of the attack in the ensuing 24 hours of battle. Trapped in their house by at least 60 heavily armed
“cholos” (a Peruvian term for indigenus people of the region), they kept up the relentless assault on the Mejias. Don Alfredo along with his children Artidoro, Dina, Mabila and some of his grandchildren, Zacarias, Oswaldo, Artidoro Jr. and Adan, (ages ranging from 14-3), grabbed their weapons, loaded them and prepared for battle. One of the attackers made his way to the house, under the protection of heavy Chetillano fire, and was able to adhere explosives to the outside walls of the hacienda, but before he could detonate the devices, he was spotted by Artidoro, who took aim and fired. The shot ignited the explosives and the man who tried to annihilate the Mejia’s was literally blown into pieces, sending a very clear message to the rest of cholos. Needless to say, the Mejias defended themselves and their land and their enemies retreated.
In the meantime, they arrived from Chota after being tipped off by a resident of the city, the armed police demanded the surrender of the Mejias who refused to comply. So a
truce was called. After much discussion, an agreement was entered into by both parties. However, as soon as Don Alfredo and his son Artidoro left their house, it was
apparent that the truce was a ruse and they were taken as prisoners, punished severely and taken to the Lascan hacienda. The men were subjected to deploring conditions on the journey which included having to carry the dead. Upon arriving at the hacienda, they were placed in the stocks (wooden devices used for punishment) and on the third day they were taken to Chota prison and later moved to the prison in Cajamarca.

The Mejia men serving their time in prison, when they devised a plan to escape by throwing a powder they had concocted by mixing lime and chili peppers into the eyes of
their guards. They were able to escape, along with many other prisoners, under the haze of dense smoke from the pyrotechnics they built and concealed in their well
conceived and secret plan.

For many years they lived under intense pursuit in which they had to carry out violent acts to defend themselves. For Don Alfredo, one of those days started out very calm,
and then a group of his enemies managed to sneak up very close to the farm and they shot him. Surprised by the attack, he had no time to draw his rifle and he was killed.
The attackers tried to take his head as a souvenir, but they were thwarted by Dina and Mabila who were on the sides of the farm and were able to open fire. Dina was able to
show her friends her skirt, which was riddled with bullet holes from the incident.
Artidoro was not on the property at the time, but heard shots and immediately headed back to the farm. His horse galloped at an incredible pace and he made it back in 10
minutes and he found himself in the middle of an embroiled gunfight. The Mejias maneuvered themselves to strategic points around the farm, trying to keep their attackers at bay to be able to retrieve the body of Don Alfredo. A woman named Martina Peralta de Tenorio arrived from the city, along with two assistants, carrying a white flag. Upon their arrival, the battle took a decisive turn, and the assailants fled, but were pursued by Artidoro and some others. They found four of the men barricaded in an abandoned house in Pusanga and started to torture them for their cowardly acts before taking the men to the main square in the town of Tacabamba, where they were tied to poles that lanterns were hung at night, in front of all the townspeople. The remaining Mejias at the farm were able to safely bring Don Alfredo’s body back to his hacienda for a proper burial.

The following day, Artidoro Mejia Cubas, gathered the notable people of the town to listen to what had taken place and write declarations that compromised the ranchers of Chetilla and Lascan, where the attackers originated. The local apothecary (pharmacist), Don Juan Bocanegra, was ordered to provide a can of alcohol to burn the prisoners alive in the town square, but were spared this fate when Mrs. Grimanesa Delgado Reategui and a group of her friends intervened and managed to calm the situation down and avoided the public pyre. The prisoners were taken to an abandoned house owned by the Paredes family (today Jr. Cuzco No 209) where they were tortured to death.

Since the assassination of Don Alfredo Mejia, the remaining Mejias and their loyal soldiers, took over the Tacabamba “field and town” and imposed extreme laws against
the Chetillanos and other enemy organizations. Artidoro was the Mayor, Governor, Justice of the Peace and the undisputed “Boss” for many years. His policies were his
own and had no relation to the orders and provisions of Cajamarca and Chota. In an attempt to set a trap for Mr. Wenceslao Villacorta Vigil, a beautiful young woman
related to him, Mrs. Grimes Herrera Delgado, was kidnapped. The attempt failed and Mr. Uva was able to retrieve the kidnapped woman and take her home to Chetilla safely.

The main supporters of the Mejias were the Tirado and Soto in Chugmar and Homero Segura Corcuera and the people in the cities of Los Tarrillo in Pena Blanca and Pusanga The Galvez family from the city and Cumpampa gave political support to the Mejias as well.

Among the groups opposed to the Mejias were the Paredes, (who were away from the city for a period of years), the Sanchez de las Tunas, the Munoz de Ataque, the Llatas
de las Tunas and La Laguna, and the Tantalean de la Palma and Cardon.
In 1921, the territorial expansion by the government of the haciendas affected the surrounding inhabitants, especially those of modest means. One of the most notable
cases was that of Poro Poro in which the humble owners were evicted under the guise of forced purchase, invasion of boundaries and evictions in the name of “justice”. The
Tarrillos lost the land to the Conchud estate owned by Mr. Reynaldo Latorre Lozane, which is why they decided to take matters into their own hands by eliminating the
landowner. Not long after, while Latorre was traveling from his farm to the city of Chota, escorted by his armed guards, the Tarrillos were lying in wait for him. Two snipers, Florencio Tirado and Artidor Mejia, were stationed on the top of a hill while local militia, supportive of the cause, were waiting as well. When the traveling party rounded the bend, they fired and Don Reynaldo was hit and critically wounded in the belly. At the same time, the militia opened fire on the rest of the convoy for distraction, thus allowing Florencio and Artidor to flee the scene. Don Reynaldo succumbed to his wound three hours later.

After this incident, there were many retaliatory acts, and it wasn’t until 1928, after the end of the Arturo Osores Revolution, that Leguia sent police forces to the towns in the
Northern mountains of the country which managed to end such a disastrous time in Peruvian history.

Aurelio Mejia Primero sadly died in his passion for his cause due to a gunshot wound and Aurelio Mejia Segundo grew up a “rebel with a cause”. He embraced the principles
of the original APRA, when it was a newly formed and vital revolutionary party. He is rumored to have helped plan and execute a covert mission attacking President Manuel
Prado y Ugarteche who had announced his visit to the city of Cajamarca in 1943. The extent of his involvement is unknown, as nothing was ever proven. However, he did
oversee the shipment of cattle as bait from Tacabamba to Cajamarca which are still remembered, which could have been used to mine the landing field with explosives.
When the Presidential plane was seen over Gavilan Hill, the authorities, students, civilian and military were all over the minefield. Ten more minutes and it would have
been one of the greatest catastrophes that Peru would have experienced to that date. Were it not for a casual act of a working man, cleaning the floor where the calvary
passed with a shovel and a broom, and happened upon some cords that led to a large network of connections that were immediately withdrawn, thus thwarting the intentions of the revolutionaries.

Nothing happened, but the scandal was unprecedented and the consequences were dire. Revenge was plotted against the reported leaders of the Aprista party. Aurelio
Mejia was pursued immediately throughout the country, but he foiled the men assigned to capture him, who were the elite of the military corps. While on the run and in hiding, he disguised himself as a woman. Meanwhile, his older brother Artidor was taken prisoner in Tacabamba and imprisoned on the island of Fronton. Aurelio was finally apprehended in Ayacucho and sent to the same prison.

When Dr. Luis Bustamante y Ribero assumed the Presidency of the Republic in 1945, he enacted an Amnesty Law for political prisoners and they were the Mejia brothers and they were granted their freedom.

After years of battle and incarceration, lean and pale, with long beards and hearts brimming with pride and redemption, they traveled to Bambamarca where Artidoro
stayed, put down roots and raised his family. Aurelio went to Tacabamba where he established his residence. One of his closest friends was Reynaldo S. Bocanegra (no
political ties) with whom he often talked for long hours about his life. His life is an epic tale of adventures and political actions that can only be imagined to the average man.
Aurelio Mejia is the one of the few people who knew how precious life was, having been tortured in prison. He went on to acquire land, marry a beautiful woman from the
Paredes family and they went on to have two children and lived happily until his death in 1952. His story is part of his people and to this day he is revered as a revolutionary
man with vision and spectacular courage.

After his release, Don Artidoro Mejia Cubas lived peacefully in Bambamarca, then in Tacabamba, where he championed the Eucalyptus Forest of Cumpampa. After suffering
a spider bite on his leg that became infected, Don Aritdoro had to travel to the capital city of Lima, where his son, Artidoro Segundo, was the General of the Peruvian Police
and was able to facilitate healthcare for his elder. The wound proved to be too much for Don Artidoro to fight. When gangrene set in, he was given the option of amputating his
leg and he declined. He said that he came into this world whole and he was going to leave this world whole. Upon his death on August 4, 1973, all of the stormy tales of his
life were entombed with him. His land in La Banda still flourishes to this day, and there is a profound sense of pride that has been passed down to not only his sons; Zacarias,
Oswaldo, Artidoro Segundo and Adan, but all the generations of Mejias who have followed in his footsteps; love of country, love of their land, integrity, pride in working
hard and staying true to their beliefs. Until this day, his presence can be felt in these lands. The lands at Coso Taurino Tacabamba are hallowed ground.

After Don Artidoro’s death, his sons, Zacarias, Oswaldo, Artidoro Segundo (Jr.) and Adan, settled in the capital city of Lima and started their careers and families. Each son
went on to have successful careers. Zacarias went on to be the Mayor of Tacaramba for 3 terms, Artidoro Segundo joined the Peruvian National Police and rose to the rank
of General, and Adan had a successful career in finance. They all inherited many traits from their great grandfather and grandfather; among them being expert knowledge in
guns and munitions and love of carpentry and woodworking skills. The Mejia men also inherited a gift for diplomacy and were brilliant orators, just like Don Artidordo.
Oswaldo Mejia married Victoria Alvarado in 1957 and they had three sons: Victor born in 1961, Cesar born in 1962, and Manuel born in 1968. Don Oswaldo went on to be a
Minister in the Department of Education and his wife became a nurse. While he was very successful in his career, his true passion was in the form of carpentry and
woodworking. It was in this realm that he became an artist. He had a profound sense of being connected with the materials he worked with; he could see a piece of wood and visualize what he wanted to create. Stories are told of him and his wife going shopping and seeing pieces of furniture that they wanted to buy, and then Oswaldo would go home to his workshop and create something even more beautiful than what they had seen. He was meticulous and patient in creating his works; taking his time and making sure everything was perfect. He was also a very charming man who captivated people with his tales and knowledge. Oswaldo passed away on June 14, 2010 due to
complications of high blood pressure. His wife Victoria passed away in 2018 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Their youngest son, Manuel, was born in Lima. He attended University and studied Civil Engineering. After immigrating to the United States in 1994, he had to reinvent himself. Not only did he continue his education; he forged a successful career in the Hospitality field. He married Gladys De Silva in 1996 and they have a son, Joao Manuel in 1999.

Manuel is known for his spontaneous nature and his zest for life. He lives by the code “Work Hard, Play Hard” and is sometimes referred to as a workaholic. He is known as
the “cool” uncle who connected with his niece and nephews through his love of technology and video games and they remember the souvenirs from his travels fondly.
Oswaldo and Victoria’s middle son, Cesar, married Monica Perez in 1982, and they had two children; Monica Lucia born in Lima in 1988 and Cesar Andres who was born in the
U.S. in 1994.

Following in the footsteps of his uncle, Artidoro Segundo, Cesar, joined the Peruvian National Police and achieved the rank of Detective and Lieutenant in the 1980s, a
period known as “The Lost Decade” in Peru. He was tasked with investigating Maria Lucero Cumpa Miranda, the leader of the revolutionary group Tupac Anaru and #3 on
Peru’s most wanted list. Her group were suspects in many kidnapping cases of the elite in Lima’s society for ransom and political gain. The nature of Cesar’s work caused him
to have several enemies in organized crime and the revolutionaries that were battling for control of the country. After the high profile cases he worked, he was told to leave
Peru for the safety of himself and his family. They came to the United States and settled in El Cerrito, California, where he started his own maintenance company in
Berkeley. His work keeps him busy doing several projects in the East Bay, and many for the University of California, Berkeley. He has the same aesthetic as his father and
continues to be successful. Cesar enjoys traveling, soccer and is currently developing vacation properties in Peru on his maternal grandparent’s land.
The eldest son, Victor, joined the Peruvian Army in 1977 and from 1979 – 1993, he worked at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, for the Department of Defense as an Operations
Coordinator for relations between the United States of America and Peru. He married Nancy Elizabeth Arribasplata in 1982 and they went on to have two sons,Victor
Alexander born in 1983 and Marco Antonio born in 1984. Victor had a front row seat to the horrific corruption that was overtaking the Peruvian government in the 1980’s. The
infrastructure of the country was crumbling due to extreme terrorism and drug trafficking that was causing a civil war that was sadly played out in the streets of Lima. One of the saddest and most frightening accounts he recalls of an incident is when he escaped death by minutes. He was at the Ambassador’s residence, along with his good friend and colleague. Victor left to return to the Embassy, and within minutes, he heard an explosion. He turned his car around, sirens blaring, and rushed back to the Ambassador’s residence to see what had taken place. He could see the smoke, people running in the streets in panic and looking for shelter. It was evident to Victor that the house was in ruins and there were no survivors. It was later discovered that a bomb was detinated in the house; a very sad and destructive sign of those times.

Victor, who was fluent in the English language, traveled extensively with his work and made many trips to the U.S. between 1989 – 1990. After years of mounting tension,
social unrest and the government on the verge of collapse, Victor was told to have his family leave Peru for their own safety. So, in 1992, his wife Nancy, along with his sons,
immigrated to America and stayed with his brother, Cesar, in El Cerrito, California, until his arrival in 1993.

Transitioning to not only civilian life after years of military service, but adapting to a new country, culture, and language barriers for his wife and children, was met by the Mejia’s with the same tenacity and strength that has run through their veins for centuries. Victor started to work in the hospitality industry and being blessed with his father’s charm, was very successful. His wife, Nancy, worked as an au pair and later went on to obtain a nursing degree. They raised their sons to not only appreciate the  love of their new found country, but to respect and honor the traditions of their family and Peru.

Today Victor owns and operates his own company, Piscoebay Over Seas, an import/export company focusing on the distribution of spirits. He has a love of soccer and travel, as many of the Mejias do, and he makes regular pilgrimages back to his home country.

The scars of warfare are imprinted on the Mejia family. Victor and Nancy’s eldest son, Alex, recalls a time when he was 4 years old and walking along the streets of Lima with
his grandmother, when chaotic violence broke out in the streets. Before they could comprehend what was taking place, they were in a crowd being assaulted by fire hoses,
police batons and utter madness. They were able to find shelter in a restaurant, behind locked doors, with many others. Their youngest son, Marco, remembers the difficulties
of trying to fit into society and school, while being bullied for looking and speaking differently. Both sons took these challenges and turned them into success; the Mejia
way: with honor, courage and pride.

Alex is now the CFO for his brother’s construction company, Mejia’s Fine Builds and thrives in his work due to his love of numbers and math, which he inherited from his
father, Victor. He is extremely driven and passionate in his beliefs and causes. He and his partner, Beto Prado, live in the East Bay area of Northern California and are
productive members of their community and will take in any stray cat or dog that crosses their path. Alex is a critical thinker and very savvy with financial matters;
another Mejia trait. His memories of what he witnessed in Peru have shaped Alex into a very successful, kind and compassionate man, and his ancestors would be proud. His
love of travel and exploring not only coincides with his tradition, but drives him day to day. His dream is to continue to have adventures across the globe and experience
different cultures and ways of life.

Marco is a successful General Contractor in Northern California, who came by his love of building and woodworking from his grandfather, Don Oswaldo. The motto of his
company is, “With Care and Dedication”, and this is how his grandfather looked at his passion. As a young boy, he loved his building blocks and Legos; not only creating
things, but taking them apart and building them again. Always striving for a way to do things better, more efficient and streamlined. He started working with his Tio Cesar
when he was 12 years old. He worked on projects with his uncle on weekends while school was in session and then full time during the summer. Marco learned the business from the ground up and the essential building blocks of construction and how each piece connects to the next. When he was in his early 20s, he worked for a General Contractor doing high end projects and was able to hone his skills and craftsmanship even more. Marco always had a desire to have his own business; to make his own way. He started taking on small side jobs, doing remodels, etc. and not only were his clients thrilled with his work, they recommended him to many of their friends. It didn’t take long for Marco to acquire his General Contractor’s license and start his own company. Over the years, his business has grown, and his list of clients continues to grow. He has gone from taking on small side jobs to designing and building multi-million dollar homes in some of the most desirable real estate in California. This is truly a family business. HIs brother is the CFO and his father has worked on multiple projects with him as well as other family members. His son is finding his calling as well, working side by side with his father. Marco takes his work very personally and puts forth every ounce of effort to ensure his clients are completely satisfied.

Aside from construction and design, Marco has a passion for cars, boxing, playing the guitar and singing. Before the construction bug bit him, he had aspirations of becoming
a Formula 1 mechanic and worked as a mechanic technician for a while. His dream now is to obtain his pilot’s license and be able to fly wherever he wants to go.

He married Sintia Yaquelin Mendez in 2004 (?) and they have two beautiful children: Emely Airiana born in 2005 and Steven Oswaldo born in 2006.

The history of the Mejia’s is legendary in Peru. They have spilled blood for their country and have an incredible sense of pride while maintaining humility and a sense of
knowing how fortunate they are not only because of where they came from, but where they are now. There is no bitterness, no self-pity and no sense of entitlement….. There
is only accomplishment and a sense of paying it forward. They are teaching future generations their family history and guiding them to walk the same path of their ancestors.

The Mejia’s….. A Family Legacy of Pride, Tradition, Perseverance and Success.