On January 17, 1881, Chilean forces under the command of Rear Admiral Patricio Lynch, occupied the
capital city of Lima. With this success, Chileans universally believed that the war was almost over and that with a peace treaty they would enter in possession of the coveted nitrate mines in southern Peru and western Bolivia, their true objective in the war.
Thus,
the occupation
forces were not interested in administering public services, and left such things including the
postal system, in Peruvian hands.