Pedro was born on June 29, 1840, at Huaraz to an unknown father of possible Mestizo descent and María Mallqui who was a domestic worker who worked at Jirón Sucre 201.

The owner's wife of his birthmother's workplace, Doña Emperatriz Sender, decided to entrust Pedro to María Martina Ángeles who was a housewife and a native from Tuquipayoc and to Cayetano Atusparía who originated from Marián as his legitimate parents.

Pedro was thus handed over to his godfather Manuel Alzamora and taught how to dye jergas, baizes, cordellates and other woollen fabrics that the Quechua tended to market.

While the neighboring towns were divided between the two, Huaraz was in full support of Iglesias as they appointed Francisco Noriega as prefect of the department but he became unpopular after enforcing unreasonable taxes as well as communal tasks assigned purely to Quechua.

The opposition grew large enough to the point where on February 22, 1885, Noriega granted a term of three days for the payment of the two sols per the first semester but Manuel Mosquera asked for a reduction on the taxes and the end of the communal tasks.

[3] As a response, Iglesias appointed Colonel José Iraola as the new prefect and gave him a force consisting of two infantry battalions, two artillery brigades and a cavalry regiment as they arrived at Casma.