and received reply from Manuel Jóse Soler to organize and prepare to continue towards Peru. Bolívar and Paz del Castillo exchanged letters on the situation, in which the general stated that Valero de Bernabé "has patience and has worked much", but that he and the troops had fallen ill upon arriving, affecting the composition and conditioning of the soldiers. Regardless of this, Valero de Bernabé took 1,500 infantrymen towards Ayacucho on January 15, 1825. On February 15, 1825, Valero de Bernabé arrived to Chorrillos. At Perú he faced the distrust of the locals and the independentist officers as a result of the campaign published at Bogotá. Three days later, he arrived to Lima. There, Valero de Bernabé and Arango met with Bolívar and insisted on their plan to lead an incursion to seek the independence of Puerto Rico and Cuba, but received the same response on the timing, followed by an assertion that he did intend to do so in the future, having made a promise to one of his dead colonels. He was given the role of Chief of Staff and received orders to lead the division that was active at the siege of the castle of El Callao under general Bartolomé Salom. In a letter describing the reunion, Bolívar discussed his impression on Valero de Bernabé, stating that he "seems like an excellent officer from what I have seen and heard of him and from his physiognomy". He placed lines at Bellavista, adjacent to El Callao, preparing to take on the Spanish forces of general Rodil, who stayed within the structure for nearly a year, refusing to surrender despite the army having done so at Ayacucho. However, his relationship with Salom was difficult, with the general often complaining before Bolívar directly and trough fellow general Tomás de Heres (who supported his comrade despite admitting in his letter that he had not met Valero de Bernabé), both of which lobbied to have him removed. These conflicts began after Valero de Bernabé founded a Masonic lodge which attracted several officers, despite Salom approaching him and trying to convince him otherwise, considering it a venue for indiscipline and a threat to his authority. As provisions became scarce, Rodil ordered the expulsion of those that he considered useless to the fight, in particular women. On May 2, Salom ordered his troops not to receive them and to send them back. The following