The television stations and radios were expropriated in November 1971 and, at midnight from Friday 26 to Saturday 27 July 1974, the headquarters of the last Lima newspapers that still maintained their autonomy, La Prensa (owned by Pedro Beltrán), Ultima Hora, El Comercio, Correo, and Ojo, were occupied.

Other causes of police discontent were their low salaries and an incident where a subordinate of the Civil Guard publicly was insulted and slapped by the Head of the Military House, General Enrique Ibáñez Burga, for failing to comply with his orders of not allowing journalists to approach the President's vehicle.

The policemen threatened a total strike if their claims were not addressed; When the negotiations failed, they consummated the threat and on Tuesday the 5th Lima was completely unguarded.

Around midnight from Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 February, armored units of the Army besieged Radio Patrulla demanding the surrender of the police leaders and the end of the strike; As there was no response, at four in the morning the premises were seized violently.

The population feared leaving their homes, but little by little the lack of control resulting from the strike motivated criminal groups and opponents of the regime to form vandalism mobs that dedicated themselves exclusively to looting and setting fires.

[5] From the Government Palace the departure of the troops of the II Military Region, based in Lima, was ordered by General Leonidas Rodríguez Figueroa.

The government officially accused the CIA and the Aprista Party of encouraging the riots and protests,[5] and general discontent by the Peruvian public continued to increase as a result of the event.

Finally, on August 29, a coup led from Tacna by General Francisco Morales Bermúdez, former Minister of Finance of the regime, dismissed Velasco and began the second phase of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces.