Gustavo Gutiérrez, was born in Lima in 1928 and began studies in Medicine and literature but changed course and studied in Belgium, Europe, to be a priest. He returned to Lima in 1960 after studies in Europe. He became active as a chaplain/advisor to students at the Peruvian National Union of Catholic Students (UNEC, which was founded in 1941) and a member of the theology faculty at PUCP. Just a few years later, in 1965, Gustavo attended the fourth and final session of the Second Vatican Council. This experience was transformative. The newly found openness of the Church further shaped Gustavo’s conviction that the Catholic faith could be a force for positive change in the world. Only three years after that, the Latin American bishops gathered in Medellín, Colombia, to ascertain the role of the Catholic faith in the Latin American context.

Gutiérrez, is widely recognised as the ‘father’ of liberation theology after the publication of his book A Theology of Liberation in 1971. His talks as national advisor to the National Union of Catholic Students in Peru between 1969 and 1970 are the basis of the book. His work and involvement with the student movement helped spread his theological ideas, focusing on liberation and social justice, within Peruvian university circles and beyond.

Gutiérrez’s theology was rooted in the social and political realities of Peru, and his work with the student movement helped to connect theological reflection with concrete social struggles. His involvement with the UNEC provided a platform for students to engage with liberation theology and participate in social and political activism. The student movement, in turn, helped to spread Gutiérrez’s ideas more widely within Peruvian society, contributing to the broader influence of liberation theology in Latin America and beyond.