Alan García Pérez
Encyclopedia
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (ˈalaŋ ɡaˈβɾjel luðˈβiɣ ɣarˈsi.a ˈpeɾes; born 23 May 1949) was the President of Peru
, having won the 2006 elections
on 4 June 2006 in a run-off against Union for Peru
candidate Ollanta Humala
. He is the leader of the APRA
and the only party member ever to have served as President of Peru. He served a first term as President from 1985 to 1990. His first term was marked by a severe economic crisis, social unrest and violence. He ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency in 2001, losing in a run-off to Alejandro Toledo
. During his second term Peru averaged seven percent GDP growth a year, held inflation below three percent annually and collated Peru's foreign exchange reserves
at US$47 billion; however his tenureship also resulted in increased environment damage according to critics and increased social conflict, according to the national human rights ombudsman's office.
(the leftist former mayor of Lima) of the United Left
party. Barrantes, however, retired and decided not to enter the run-off, saying he did not want to prolong the political uncertainty of the country. García was thus declared president on June 1 and officially took power on July 28, 1985. For the first time in its sixty-year history, the APRA
party came to power in Peru. Aged only 36, García was dubbed "Latin America
's Kennedy
," becoming the region's youngest president at the time, and the second youngest president in Peruvian history (the youngest was Juan Crisostomo Torrico
in 1842, aged 34).
Despite his initial popularity among Peruvian voters, García's term in office was marked by bouts of hyperinflation, which reached 7,649% in 1990 and had a cumulative total of 2,200,200% over the five years, thereby profoundly destabilising the Peruvian economy. Owing to such chronic inflation, the Peruvian currency, the sol
, was replaced by the Inti
in mid-1985, which itself was replaced by the nuevo sol
("new sun") in July 1991, at which time the new sol had a cumulative value of one billion (1,000,000,000) old soles. During García's administration, the per capita annual income of Peruvians fell to $720 (below the level of 1960) and Peru's GDP
dropped 20%. By the end of his term, national reserves were negative $900 million.
According to studies of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the United Nations Development Programme
, around the start of his presidency, 41.6% of Peruvians lived in poverty. During his presidency, this percentage increased by 13% (to 55%) in 1991. García also made an attempt to nationalise
the banking and insurance industries. He incurred the wrath of the International Monetary Fund
and the financial community by unilaterally declaring a limit on debt repayment equal to 10% of the Gross National Product, thereby isolating Peru from the international financial markets.
The economic turbulence exacerbated social tensions in Peru and contributed in part to the rise of the violent rebel movement known as the Shining Path
, which launched the internal conflict in Peru
and began attacking electrical towers, causing a number of blackouts in Lima. The García administration unsuccessfully sought a military solution to the growing terrorism, allegedly committing human rights violations, which are still under investigation. These include the Accomarca massacre
, where 47 campesinos
were gunned down by Peruvian armed forces in August 1985, the Cayara massacre (May 1988) in which some thirty people were killed and dozens disappeared, and the summary execution of more than 200 inmates
during prison riots in Lurigancho, San Juan Bautista (El Frontón
) and Santa Bárbara in 1986. According to an official inquiry, an estimated 1,600 forced disappearance
s took place during García's presidency. His own personal involvement in these events is not clear. García was allegedly tied to the paramilitary Rodrigo Franco Command
, which is accused of carrying out political murders in Peru during García's presidency. A US declassified
report, written in late 1987, said that García's party, APRA, and top government officials were running a paramilitary
group, responsible for the attempted bombing of the El Diario
newspaper, then linked to Shining Path, had sent people to train in North Korea
and may have been involved in executions. According to investigative journalist Lucy Komisar
, the report made it clear that it believed that García was giving the orders.
García's presidency left the country with hyperinflation
, isolated from the international financial community, with negative reserves of US$900 million, continuous subversive activities by the Shining Path
, a great increase in poverty levels and a multi-million dollar investment in an electric train in Lima
that was not finished during his first government, and is still under construction as of 2011. His critics claim the many poor decisions he took while in office created an environment that led to the rise of an authoritarian leader like Alberto Fujimori
.
In order to keep him away from future elections, García was accused of multiple charges of corruption during Fujimori's government. Investigations were archived without verdict and the statute of limitations has expired.
and later in France
after Fujimori's auto-coup during which the military raided his house. The new government re-opened charges against him for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes. He denied the charges, and in 2001 Peru's Supreme Court ruled that the statute of limitations had run out following a recommendation by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
. There were charges of corruption involved in this decision, as at the same time a law was struck down by Congress which prevented anyone who had been investigated for charges of corruption in a public office to run for president (what his supporters in Congress dubbed the "anti-Alan law"). García could not justify how he had homes in the richest neighbourhoods of Bogotá and Paris, in addition to having his daughter enrolled in a top private school in France, if his only income was from being an occasional guest speaker and the author of a few books with poor sales. His long-time ally Jorge Del Castillo
represented him as his lawyer
and performed very heavy lobbying to allow García to legally return to Peru. After Castillo was elected to Congress, he had much more leverage for García's defence. The main accuser and enemy of García, Fernando Olivera, left Peru after Fujimori's fall and is still being sought for corruption charges.
After living eight years and ten months in neighbouring Colombia
and in France
, he returned to Peru in 2001, following Alberto Fujimori
's resignation from the presidency. As it had been rumoured for many years, García ran for president in the new elections called by transitory president Valentín Paniagua
, with Jorge Del Castillo
as his campaign manager. García competed against some of his harshest critics and worst political enemies, including Lourdes Flores Nano and Fernando Olivera
. García's theme during this election campaign was that he was the most experienced candidate and thus the most prepared, as he had made mistakes before as President, and had learned from them. He attributed all the problems of the Peruvian economy in his first presidency to the economic problems of Argentina
and Brazil
at the time. He distanced himself from accusations that he had been protected by Fujimori during his exile, and he would switch the topic when he was asked about his endorsement of Fujimori in the 1990 election.
He finished a distant second in the first round, far behind Alejandro Toledo
, but just slightly above Flores Nano (by 1%), enough to take him to a run-off, as Toledo had failed to obtain the 50% majority. During the campaign for the run-off Toledo's popularity decreased, while García's popularity increased with his characteristic rhetoric and classical oratory delivery, which had helped him to get elected in 1985. García managed to obtain 48% of the vote in the run-off, losing by a close margin to Toledo. This was despite the movement "Voto Nulo" ("blank" or void vote), led by Jaime Bayly
, a popular writer and TV presenter, and Álvaro Vargas Llosa, son of the famous novelist, in which celebrities asked Peruvian voters to vote for neither candidate and instead intentionally damage their vote cards or leave them blank. After the 2001 election
, García, as leader of the APRA party, led the main opposition.
García officially started his campaign for the April 2006 presidential election
in Lima on February 18, 2005. Ollanta Humala
won the initial election with 30.62% of valid votes, followed by García, who got 24.32% (against Lourdes Flores
' 23.81%). As no candidate won a majority, a run-off election was held on June 4, 2006 between Humala and García. Preliminary official results gave García an advantage over his run-off opponent, who conceded defeat.
On April 28, 2006, prior to the run-off, García had become involved in a dispute with Venezuela
n President Hugo Chávez
. As Chávez, for the second time in the Peruvian Presidential elections, declared his support for Ollanta Humala, García's opponent, and referred to García as a "robber", a "bandit", and "the Carlos Andrés Pérez
of Peru". In response, García stated that Chávez was "not acting as a statesman" and challenged Chávez to a debate to be hosted by CNN
. García also called on the Organization of American States
to intervene in the matter.
On May 31, 2006, a few days before the run-off election García's economic adviser Enrique Cornejo told the media that if García won in the second round, his government would renew a $422 million aid package with the International Monetary Fund
. Anoop Singh, the IMF's Western Hemisphere Director, responded positively by saying he was "impressed by the vision of the president-elected for Peru, especially his commitment to applying prudent economic policy."
) and the rain forest areas. A third of the voters said that voting for him was "voting for the lesser of two evils": although many Peruvians had a very negative impression of García after his first government, they were scared by rumours that Humala would create a government based on Fidel Castro
's Cuba
and would turn Hugo Chávez
, President of Venezuela, into the virtual ruler of Peru, due to Chavez's patronage of Humala's party. Humala denied these rumours, but his conflicting statements about his government's vision and Chávez's strong campaigning for him created enough suspicions among voters to cost him the ballotage
.
With 36 seats, APRA has the second largest bloc in the 120-seat unicameral Congress
which was sworn in a couple of days before the President. With 45 seats, Humala's Union for Peru
Party has the largest bloc, although it has divided itself up into three factions.
Following his victory García stated that he sought good relations with Venezuela and did not intend to start a movement in the region against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He stated that he would review a trade agreement with the US
established by the Toledo administration before deciding to ratify the agreement. Although APRA's position towards the free trade agreement was qualified as ambiguous by their detractors, APRA had always maintained that they would approve the agreement with proper compensations for wheat
, cotton
and yellow corn
producers . On June 28, one month before García was sworn in, his party gave 25 of the 79 votes (almost one third of the votes) that ratified the agreement in the Peruvian Congress, one month prior to the new legislature that will include the Union for Peru congressmen, who are opposed to the agreement with the USA. The new Congress will still include a majority favourable to the free trade pact. Peru now awaits the agreement to be voted in the United States Congress
.
In his first speech as President, García said that he would appoint a Finance Minister who was neither "an orthodox market liberal" nor a person "excessively in favour of state intervention in the economy". The position of Prime Minister was given to Jorge Del Castillo
, his long time collaborator. According to the BBC
, in private interviews García had stated his interest in a possible future trade agreement with Brazil and considers himself "an admirer" of Brazilian President Lula da Silva
.
In press conferences with the foreign press, García has acknowledged that the support Humala received in the election "could not be ignored". García, in a recognition of future domestic politics with a UPP controlled Congress, was quoted as saying "Mr. Humala is an important political figure, and a President should consult with different political factions". However, Mr. Humala said he wouldn't salute the winner personally, adding that "he and his party will constitute the principal opposition bloc, not to fight Mr. García, but to defend the interests of the State and watch the government".
President Chávez of Venezuela responded to García's comments on his show Aló Presidente
by stating that it was García who owed him an apology saying "the only way relations between the two countries can be restored is if Peru's elected President [García] gives an explanation and offers an apology to the Venezuelan people. He started throwing stones". Chávez also questioned the legitimacy of the election, citing 1.2 million invalid ballots and a margin of victory of 600,000 votes, although he didn't offer evidence for his remarks. García, attending an invitation to meet Brazilian president Lula da Silva, responded to Chávez: "accept your defeat in silence. Don't ask me to apologize for something arising from interference and remarks that are unacceptable under international law."
Differences with Chávez were left behind after García and he ended their controversy at the II South American Community of Nations Summit.
On July 20, 2006 García named as Finance Minister Luis Carranza
, a former executive at Spain
-based Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
and Central Bank director and deputy finance chief from August 2004 to August 2005 in Alejandro Toledo's
government. The appointment was welcomed by some detractors of García's fiscal policies during his first administration. But Mario Huamán Rivera, the President of Peru's largest trade union
the Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú
(General Workers Confederation of Peru), has attacked the appointment stating that "it looks as though Alan García is not going to fulfil his promise to change economic policy".
On the day before his inauguration, García formally named his cabinet including former Secretary-General of the APRA party and re-elected Congressman Jorge del Castillo
as Prime Minister, Luis Carranza as Minister of Finance and Economy, and José Antonio García Belaúnde as Foreign Affairs Minister. García was inaugurated as President of Peru on July 28, 2006.
During his campaign, García declared that he supported he death penalty for rapists of minors; he has repeated this stance while in office. He has even proposed a polemic law on the matter, which would modify the Criminal Code. Although the issue seemed to be stalled, García has widened the range of his proposal for the death penalty, by including terrorists in the list of those who could receive it.
García faced his first major political defeat of his second term in office on January 11, 2007 when his proposal to introduce the death penalty as a punishment for captured Shining Path
rebels was rejected by Congress
in a vote of 49 to 26. García had promised to introduce the death penalty for Shining Path rebels during the 2006 Presidential election
. Following the defeat of the proposal, García suggested a national referendum on the issue but a referendum is expected to be blocked by Congress. Legislators who voted against the bill stated that it would be a breach of the American Convention on Human Rights
to which Peru is a signatory. Approximately 3000 supporters of the proposal marched in Lima holding up photos of victims of attacks by the Shining Path.
On June 5, 2009, President Alan García ordered Peruvian Police and military forces to stop Amazonian Indigenous protesters from blocking roads in the Bagua
region. The natives had been demonstrating against the signing by Alan García of special decrees that allow foreign corporations to enter Indigenous lands for oil drilling, mining and logging. As a result of the protests, 10 native civilians and 24 policemen were killed. With several policemen, who had surrendered their weapons, being brutally slaughtered at "estacion 6". It has since been proved, however, that members of the main opposition (nationalist) party, were behind these protests. Eyewitnesses claim that the bodies of the murdered amazon Natives have been dumped into the rivers.
After being elected, in the months prior to his inauguration, García sought to heal the relationship with Chile
, which was stressed due to the differences between the governments of Alejandro Toledo
and Ricardo Lagos
and severely impaired by the former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori
's extradition affair. García's intentions were well-received by Michelle Bachelet
, President of Chile, as she and García met and struck some pre-agreements. These conversations eventually led to the final draft of a landmark economic agreement with Chile a month after García was sworn in.
On November 9, 2006, García signed 12 commercial agreements with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
of Brazil
, strengthening the relationship between the two countries. As part of the IIRSA program and continuing integration efforts -including the August 2006 negotiations between Petrobras
and Petroperú
-, these new agreements seek to further bilateral cooperation. García offered Peruvian hydropower to meet Brazil's growing energy needs, although further details were not disclosed.
García mended relations with President Hugo Chávez
of Venezuela
on December 9, 2006 during the second South American Community of Nations
summit in Cochabamba
, Bolivia
. García told the Peruvian broadcaster Radio Programas del Perú
that "the two of us are well-mannered and cordial people, so any kind of argument, any previously made statements, remain a closed chapter" referring to disputes between the two leaders during the 2006 Peruvian presidential election where Chavez supported García's opponent Ollanta Humala
.
During the second government of Garcia, Peru was ranked as Latin America's third-best country for business on the 2008 Latin Business Index from Latin Business Chronicle.
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Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, having won the 2006 elections
Peruvian national election, 2006
The first round of the 2006 Peruvian national election was held on April 9, 2006 to elect the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents, 120 Members of Congress, and five Peruvian members of the Andean Parliament , for the 2006-2011 period.No single presidential ticket obtained more than half...
on 4 June 2006 in a run-off against Union for Peru
Union for Peru
Union for Peru is a Peruvian political party. UPP was founded by Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, ex UN Secretary General, in 1994. UPP was originally a liberal or centrist political party....
candidate Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso is a Peruvian politician and the President of Peru. Humala, who previously served as an army officer, lost the presidential election in 2006 but won the 2011 presidential election in a run-off vote...
. He is the leader of the APRA
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
The Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana is a centre-left Peruvian political party.At the legislative elections held on 9 April 2006, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 36 out of 120 seats in the Congress of the Republic...
and the only party member ever to have served as President of Peru. He served a first term as President from 1985 to 1990. His first term was marked by a severe economic crisis, social unrest and violence. He ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency in 2001, losing in a run-off to Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
. During his second term Peru averaged seven percent GDP growth a year, held inflation below three percent annually and collated Peru's foreign exchange reserves
Foreign exchange reserves
Foreign-exchange reserves in a strict sense are 'only' the foreign currency deposits and bonds held by central banks and monetary authorities. However, the term in popular usage commonly includes foreign exchange and gold, Special Drawing Rights and International Monetary Fund reserve positions...
at US$47 billion; however his tenureship also resulted in increased environment damage according to critics and increased social conflict, according to the national human rights ombudsman's office.
First Presidency
García won the elections on April 14, 1985 with 45% of the votes. Since he did not receive the 50% of the votes required to win the presidency, García had to enter a run-off against Alfonso BarrantesAlfonso Barrantes Lingán
Alfonso Barrantes Lingán was a Peruvian politician most active in the mid-1980s.-Mayor of Lima:Affiliated with the United Left Party, he was the mayor of Lima from 1984 to 1986...
(the leftist former mayor of Lima) of the United Left
United Left (Peru)
United Left was an alliance of leftist political parties in Peru founded in 1980 by Popular Democratic Unity , Revolutionary Left Union , Peruvian Communist Party , Revolutionary Socialist Party , Revolutionary Communist Party and FOCEP.In 1984 UDP and a part of PCR converted itself into the...
party. Barrantes, however, retired and decided not to enter the run-off, saying he did not want to prolong the political uncertainty of the country. García was thus declared president on June 1 and officially took power on July 28, 1985. For the first time in its sixty-year history, the APRA
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
The Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana is a centre-left Peruvian political party.At the legislative elections held on 9 April 2006, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and 36 out of 120 seats in the Congress of the Republic...
party came to power in Peru. Aged only 36, García was dubbed "Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
's Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
," becoming the region's youngest president at the time, and the second youngest president in Peruvian history (the youngest was Juan Crisostomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico González was President of Peru during a brief period in 1842. At age 34, he was the youngest ever president of Peru....
in 1842, aged 34).
Despite his initial popularity among Peruvian voters, García's term in office was marked by bouts of hyperinflation, which reached 7,649% in 1990 and had a cumulative total of 2,200,200% over the five years, thereby profoundly destabilising the Peruvian economy. Owing to such chronic inflation, the Peruvian currency, the sol
Peruvian sol
The sol, was the currency of Peru between 1863 and 1985. It had the ISO 4217 currency code PEH. It was subdivided into 10 dineros or 100 centavos.-History:...
, was replaced by the Inti
Peruvian inti
The inti was the currency of Peru between 1985 and 1991. Its ISO 4217 code was PEI and its abbreviation in local use was "I/." The inti was divided into 100 céntimos. The inti replaced the inflation-stricken sol. The new currency was named after Inti, the Inca sun god.-History:The inti was...
in mid-1985, which itself was replaced by the nuevo sol
Peruvian nuevo sol
The nuevo sol plural: nuevos soles; currency sign: S/.) is the currency of Peru. It is subdivided into 100 cents, called céntimos in Spanish. The ISO 4217 currency code is PEN. It is most commonly referred to just as sol...
("new sun") in July 1991, at which time the new sol had a cumulative value of one billion (1,000,000,000) old soles. During García's administration, the per capita annual income of Peruvians fell to $720 (below the level of 1960) and Peru's GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
dropped 20%. By the end of his term, national reserves were negative $900 million.
According to studies of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, around the start of his presidency, 41.6% of Peruvians lived in poverty. During his presidency, this percentage increased by 13% (to 55%) in 1991. García also made an attempt to nationalise
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
the banking and insurance industries. He incurred the wrath of the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and the financial community by unilaterally declaring a limit on debt repayment equal to 10% of the Gross National Product, thereby isolating Peru from the international financial markets.
The economic turbulence exacerbated social tensions in Peru and contributed in part to the rise of the violent rebel movement known as the Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
, which launched the internal conflict in Peru
Internal conflict in Peru
It has been estimated that nearly 70,000 people died in the internal conflict in Peru that started in 1980 and, although still ongoing, had greatly wound down by 2000. The principal actors in the war were the Shining Path , the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and the government of Peru.A great...
and began attacking electrical towers, causing a number of blackouts in Lima. The García administration unsuccessfully sought a military solution to the growing terrorism, allegedly committing human rights violations, which are still under investigation. These include the Accomarca massacre
Accomarca massacre
The Accomarca massacre occurred on August 14, 1985 in Accomarca, Ayacucho, Peru. The number of unarmed men, women and children killed has been variously reported as 47, 69 or 74.-Investigations Into the Massacre:...
, where 47 campesinos
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
were gunned down by Peruvian armed forces in August 1985, the Cayara massacre (May 1988) in which some thirty people were killed and dozens disappeared, and the summary execution of more than 200 inmates
Peruvian prison massacres
The Peruvian prison massacres occurred on June 18–19, 1986, after a series of riots in the San Pedro, Santa Mónica, and El Frontón prisons in Lima and Callao...
during prison riots in Lurigancho, San Juan Bautista (El Frontón
El Frontón
El Frontón is an island off the coast of Callao, Peru.For much of El Frontón's history, the island was used as a prison. Fernando Belaúnde Terry, who was twice president of Peru, was imprisoned on the island as a political prisoner. During his imprisonment, Belaúnde Terry made an unsuccessful...
) and Santa Bárbara in 1986. According to an official inquiry, an estimated 1,600 forced disappearance
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
s took place during García's presidency. His own personal involvement in these events is not clear. García was allegedly tied to the paramilitary Rodrigo Franco Command
Rodrigo Franco Command
The Rodrigo Franco Command was a paramilitary organization that acted as a death squad in Peru from 1985 to 1990. The group was closely aligned with the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance , which governed Peru under Alan García during the years of the Rodrigo Franco Command's existence...
, which is accused of carrying out political murders in Peru during García's presidency. A US declassified
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
report, written in late 1987, said that García's party, APRA, and top government officials were running a paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group, responsible for the attempted bombing of the El Diario
El Diario
El Diario is a newspaper of Bolivia, published in La Paz. Founded in 1904, it is Bolivia's oldest newspaper currently still published. The newspaper traditionally published a conservative position in line with its founders, the Carrasco family, one of La Paz's most influential families of the 20th...
newspaper, then linked to Shining Path, had sent people to train in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and may have been involved in executions. According to investigative journalist Lucy Komisar
Lucy Komisar
Lucy Komisar is a New York City-based investigative journalist. She writes about offshore banking, corporate secrecy, international money laundering, and how they relate to corporate fraud; international corruption; the looting by dictators; financing of terrorism; international crime including...
, the report made it clear that it believed that García was giving the orders.
García's presidency left the country with hyperinflation
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or out of control. While the real values of the specific economic items generally stay the same in terms of relatively stable foreign currencies, in hyperinflationary conditions the general price level within a specific economy increases...
, isolated from the international financial community, with negative reserves of US$900 million, continuous subversive activities by the Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
, a great increase in poverty levels and a multi-million dollar investment in an electric train in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
that was not finished during his first government, and is still under construction as of 2011. His critics claim the many poor decisions he took while in office created an environment that led to the rise of an authoritarian leader like Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
.
In order to keep him away from future elections, García was accused of multiple charges of corruption during Fujimori's government. Investigations were archived without verdict and the statute of limitations has expired.
Post-presidency
In 1992, García went into exile in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and later in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after Fujimori's auto-coup during which the military raided his house. The new government re-opened charges against him for allegedly taking millions of dollars in bribes. He denied the charges, and in 2001 Peru's Supreme Court ruled that the statute of limitations had run out following a recommendation by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
. There were charges of corruption involved in this decision, as at the same time a law was struck down by Congress which prevented anyone who had been investigated for charges of corruption in a public office to run for president (what his supporters in Congress dubbed the "anti-Alan law"). García could not justify how he had homes in the richest neighbourhoods of Bogotá and Paris, in addition to having his daughter enrolled in a top private school in France, if his only income was from being an occasional guest speaker and the author of a few books with poor sales. His long-time ally Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Alfonso Alejandro Del Castillo Gálvez is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Peru. He is also a member and current Secretary-General of the Peruvian Aprista Party...
represented him as his lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and performed very heavy lobbying to allow García to legally return to Peru. After Castillo was elected to Congress, he had much more leverage for García's defence. The main accuser and enemy of García, Fernando Olivera, left Peru after Fujimori's fall and is still being sought for corruption charges.
After living eight years and ten months in neighbouring Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he returned to Peru in 2001, following Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
's resignation from the presidency. As it had been rumoured for many years, García ran for president in the new elections called by transitory president Valentín Paniagua
Valentín Paniagua
Valentín Paniagua Corazao was a Peruvian politician and former Interim President of Peru. Paniagua was elected by the Peruvian Congress to serve as interim president of the country after Alberto Fujimori was ousted from office by Congress in November 2000.As Interim President, his main task was to...
, with Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Alfonso Alejandro Del Castillo Gálvez is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Peru. He is also a member and current Secretary-General of the Peruvian Aprista Party...
as his campaign manager. García competed against some of his harshest critics and worst political enemies, including Lourdes Flores Nano and Fernando Olivera
Fernando Olivera
Fernando Olivera Vega is a Peruvian politician and leader of Independent Moralizing Front , a Peruvian political party...
. García's theme during this election campaign was that he was the most experienced candidate and thus the most prepared, as he had made mistakes before as President, and had learned from them. He attributed all the problems of the Peruvian economy in his first presidency to the economic problems of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
at the time. He distanced himself from accusations that he had been protected by Fujimori during his exile, and he would switch the topic when he was asked about his endorsement of Fujimori in the 1990 election.
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
, but just slightly above Flores Nano (by 1%), enough to take him to a run-off, as Toledo had failed to obtain the 50% majority. During the campaign for the run-off Toledo's popularity decreased, while García's popularity increased with his characteristic rhetoric and classical oratory delivery, which had helped him to get elected in 1985. García managed to obtain 48% of the vote in the run-off, losing by a close margin to Toledo. This was despite the movement "Voto Nulo" ("blank" or void vote), led by Jaime Bayly
Jaime Bayly
Jaime Bayly Letts is a Peruvian writer, journalist and television personality. He is the third of 10 children and is known as "el niño terrible" .-Early life:...
, a popular writer and TV presenter, and Álvaro Vargas Llosa, son of the famous novelist, in which celebrities asked Peruvian voters to vote for neither candidate and instead intentionally damage their vote cards or leave them blank. After the 2001 election
Peruvian national election, 2001
The 2001 Peruvian national election was held after Alberto Fujimori fled Peru for Japan following the collapse of his administration.Alejandro Toledo won the election.-Parliamentary election:...
, García, as leader of the APRA party, led the main opposition.
García officially started his campaign for the April 2006 presidential election
Peruvian national election, 2006
The first round of the 2006 Peruvian national election was held on April 9, 2006 to elect the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents, 120 Members of Congress, and five Peruvian members of the Andean Parliament , for the 2006-2011 period.No single presidential ticket obtained more than half...
in Lima on February 18, 2005. Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso is a Peruvian politician and the President of Peru. Humala, who previously served as an army officer, lost the presidential election in 2006 but won the 2011 presidential election in a run-off vote...
won the initial election with 30.62% of valid votes, followed by García, who got 24.32% (against Lourdes Flores
Lourdes Flores
Lourdes Celmira Rosario Flores Nano is a Peruvian politician and lawyer. She currently leads the Unidad Nacional ' alliance and the Partido Popular Cristiano ' in Peru, which is the most well-known right-of-center party of the country.-Biography:Lourdes Flores was born in Lima on 7 October 1959...
' 23.81%). As no candidate won a majority, a run-off election was held on June 4, 2006 between Humala and García. Preliminary official results gave García an advantage over his run-off opponent, who conceded defeat.
On April 28, 2006, prior to the run-off, García had become involved in a dispute with Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
. As Chávez, for the second time in the Peruvian Presidential elections, declared his support for Ollanta Humala, García's opponent, and referred to García as a "robber", a "bandit", and "the Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
of Peru". In response, García stated that Chávez was "not acting as a statesman" and challenged Chávez to a debate to be hosted by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. García also called on the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
to intervene in the matter.
On May 31, 2006, a few days before the run-off election García's economic adviser Enrique Cornejo told the media that if García won in the second round, his government would renew a $422 million aid package with the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
. Anoop Singh, the IMF's Western Hemisphere Director, responded positively by saying he was "impressed by the vision of the president-elected for Peru, especially his commitment to applying prudent economic policy."
Second Presidency
On July 28, 2006, García was sworn in as the new president of Peru, after winning approximately 53% of the nationwide vote in the elections held on June 4. He had huge support in Lima and the northern coast, but did not get the votes of Humala's strongholds such as the southern region (mostly impoverished but including major cities as Cuzco and ArequipaArequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
) and the rain forest areas. A third of the voters said that voting for him was "voting for the lesser of two evils": although many Peruvians had a very negative impression of García after his first government, they were scared by rumours that Humala would create a government based on Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and would turn Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, President of Venezuela, into the virtual ruler of Peru, due to Chavez's patronage of Humala's party. Humala denied these rumours, but his conflicting statements about his government's vision and Chávez's strong campaigning for him created enough suspicions among voters to cost him the ballotage
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
.
With 36 seats, APRA has the second largest bloc in the 120-seat unicameral Congress
Congress of Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru or the National Congress of Peru is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.Congress consists of 130 members of congress , who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis...
which was sworn in a couple of days before the President. With 45 seats, Humala's Union for Peru
Union for Peru
Union for Peru is a Peruvian political party. UPP was founded by Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, ex UN Secretary General, in 1994. UPP was originally a liberal or centrist political party....
Party has the largest bloc, although it has divided itself up into three factions.
Following his victory García stated that he sought good relations with Venezuela and did not intend to start a movement in the region against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He stated that he would review a trade agreement with the US
Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement
The United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is a bilateral free trade agreement, whose objectives are eliminating obstacles to trade, consolidating access to goods and services and fostering private investment in and between the United States and Peru...
established by the Toledo administration before deciding to ratify the agreement. Although APRA's position towards the free trade agreement was qualified as ambiguous by their detractors, APRA had always maintained that they would approve the agreement with proper compensations for wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and yellow corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
producers . On June 28, one month before García was sworn in, his party gave 25 of the 79 votes (almost one third of the votes) that ratified the agreement in the Peruvian Congress, one month prior to the new legislature that will include the Union for Peru congressmen, who are opposed to the agreement with the USA. The new Congress will still include a majority favourable to the free trade pact. Peru now awaits the agreement to be voted in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
In his first speech as President, García said that he would appoint a Finance Minister who was neither "an orthodox market liberal" nor a person "excessively in favour of state intervention in the economy". The position of Prime Minister was given to Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Alfonso Alejandro Del Castillo Gálvez is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Peru. He is also a member and current Secretary-General of the Peruvian Aprista Party...
, his long time collaborator. According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, in private interviews García had stated his interest in a possible future trade agreement with Brazil and considers himself "an admirer" of Brazilian President Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
.
In press conferences with the foreign press, García has acknowledged that the support Humala received in the election "could not be ignored". García, in a recognition of future domestic politics with a UPP controlled Congress, was quoted as saying "Mr. Humala is an important political figure, and a President should consult with different political factions". However, Mr. Humala said he wouldn't salute the winner personally, adding that "he and his party will constitute the principal opposition bloc, not to fight Mr. García, but to defend the interests of the State and watch the government".
Aló Presidente
Aló Presidente is a largely unscripted talk show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez which is broadcast on Venezuelan state television and radio stations every Sunday at 11:00 AM...
by stating that it was García who owed him an apology saying "the only way relations between the two countries can be restored is if Peru's elected President [García] gives an explanation and offers an apology to the Venezuelan people. He started throwing stones". Chávez also questioned the legitimacy of the election, citing 1.2 million invalid ballots and a margin of victory of 600,000 votes, although he didn't offer evidence for his remarks. García, attending an invitation to meet Brazilian president Lula da Silva, responded to Chávez: "accept your defeat in silence. Don't ask me to apologize for something arising from interference and remarks that are unacceptable under international law."
Differences with Chávez were left behind after García and he ended their controversy at the II South American Community of Nations Summit.
On July 20, 2006 García named as Finance Minister Luis Carranza
Luis Carranza
Prof. Luis Carranza Ugarte, , was the Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru in the administration of Peruvian president Alan García, from July 2006 - July 2008. During his first tenure, he championed several structural economic reforms that proved extremely successful...
, a former executive at Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-based Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is a multinational Spanish banking group. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, both of which in turn had previously amalgamated three important banks in Spain, namely Banco de Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, Banco Exterior de...
and Central Bank director and deputy finance chief from August 2004 to August 2005 in Alejandro Toledo's
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
government. The appointment was welcomed by some detractors of García's fiscal policies during his first administration. But Mario Huamán Rivera, the President of Peru's largest trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
the Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú
Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú
The Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú is a national trade union center in Peru. It was formed in 1968 under the leadership of the Peruvian Communist Party....
(General Workers Confederation of Peru), has attacked the appointment stating that "it looks as though Alan García is not going to fulfil his promise to change economic policy".
On the day before his inauguration, García formally named his cabinet including former Secretary-General of the APRA party and re-elected Congressman Jorge del Castillo
Jorge Del Castillo
Jorge Alfonso Alejandro Del Castillo Gálvez is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Peru. He is also a member and current Secretary-General of the Peruvian Aprista Party...
as Prime Minister, Luis Carranza as Minister of Finance and Economy, and José Antonio García Belaúnde as Foreign Affairs Minister. García was inaugurated as President of Peru on July 28, 2006.
During his campaign, García declared that he supported he death penalty for rapists of minors; he has repeated this stance while in office. He has even proposed a polemic law on the matter, which would modify the Criminal Code. Although the issue seemed to be stalled, García has widened the range of his proposal for the death penalty, by including terrorists in the list of those who could receive it.
García faced his first major political defeat of his second term in office on January 11, 2007 when his proposal to introduce the death penalty as a punishment for captured Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
rebels was rejected by Congress
Congress of Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru or the National Congress of Peru is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.Congress consists of 130 members of congress , who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis...
in a vote of 49 to 26. García had promised to introduce the death penalty for Shining Path rebels during the 2006 Presidential election
Peruvian national election, 2006
The first round of the 2006 Peruvian national election was held on April 9, 2006 to elect the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents, 120 Members of Congress, and five Peruvian members of the Andean Parliament , for the 2006-2011 period.No single presidential ticket obtained more than half...
. Following the defeat of the proposal, García suggested a national referendum on the issue but a referendum is expected to be blocked by Congress. Legislators who voted against the bill stated that it would be a breach of the American Convention on Human Rights
American Convention on Human Rights
The American Convention on Human Rights is an international human rights instrument.It was adopted by the nations of the Americas meeting in San José, Costa Rica, in 22 November 1969...
to which Peru is a signatory. Approximately 3000 supporters of the proposal marched in Lima holding up photos of victims of attacks by the Shining Path.
On June 5, 2009, President Alan García ordered Peruvian Police and military forces to stop Amazonian Indigenous protesters from blocking roads in the Bagua
Bagua Province
Bagua is a province of the Amazonas Region in Peru. It is located in the north and central part of the department of Amazonas. Its territory is rugged in all its extension. It is also cut by deep gorges that have been formed by the important rivers that cross this province, as well as their...
region. The natives had been demonstrating against the signing by Alan García of special decrees that allow foreign corporations to enter Indigenous lands for oil drilling, mining and logging. As a result of the protests, 10 native civilians and 24 policemen were killed. With several policemen, who had surrendered their weapons, being brutally slaughtered at "estacion 6". It has since been proved, however, that members of the main opposition (nationalist) party, were behind these protests. Eyewitnesses claim that the bodies of the murdered amazon Natives have been dumped into the rivers.
Foreign affairs
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, which was stressed due to the differences between the governments of Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
and Ricardo Lagos
Ricardo Lagos
Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar is a lawyer, economist and social democrat politician, who served as president of Chile from 2000 to 2006. He won the 1999-2000 presidential election by a narrow margin in a runoff over Independent Democrat Union candidate Joaquín Lavín...
and severely impaired by the former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
's extradition affair. García's intentions were well-received by Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
, President of Chile, as she and García met and struck some pre-agreements. These conversations eventually led to the final draft of a landmark economic agreement with Chile a month after García was sworn in.
On November 9, 2006, García signed 12 commercial agreements with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, strengthening the relationship between the two countries. As part of the IIRSA program and continuing integration efforts -including the August 2006 negotiations between Petrobras
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro or Petrobras is a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest company in Latin America by market capitalization and revenue, and the largest company headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere by market...
and Petroperú
Petroperu
Petróleos del Perú S.A. is a Peruvian state-owned petroleum company. Its activities include transport, refinery and commercialization of fuel and other oil derivatives...
-, these new agreements seek to further bilateral cooperation. García offered Peruvian hydropower to meet Brazil's growing energy needs, although further details were not disclosed.
García mended relations with President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
on December 9, 2006 during the second South American Community of Nations
South American Community of Nations
The Union of South American Nations is an intergovernmental union integrating two existing customs unions: Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations , as part of a continuing process of South American integration. It is modeled on the European Union....
summit in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. García told the Peruvian broadcaster Radio Programas del Perú
Radio Programas del Perú
Radio Programas del Peru is a network of radio stations in Peru within the Grupo RPP formed in Lima in 1963 by Manuel Delgado Parker. In the mid-nineties, the network changed its identification symbol to RPP, the initials of its name. RPP has the largest radio coverage in Peru, covering 97...
that "the two of us are well-mannered and cordial people, so any kind of argument, any previously made statements, remain a closed chapter" referring to disputes between the two leaders during the 2006 Peruvian presidential election where Chavez supported García's opponent Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso is a Peruvian politician and the President of Peru. Humala, who previously served as an army officer, lost the presidential election in 2006 but won the 2011 presidential election in a run-off vote...
.
Council of Ministers
| Ministry | Name | Party | Term | President of the Council of Ministers | Rosario Fernández | Independent | March 2011 to date | Foreign Relations | José Antonio García Belaúnde | Independent | July 2006 to date | Defense | Jaime Thorne Leon Jaime Thorne Leon Jaime Thorne Leon served as the Defense Minister of Peru under the administration of President Alan García.-Biography:A lawyer, he was the President of the Peruvian National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property, a.k.a... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Justice | Rosario Fernandez | Independent | September 2010 to date | Foreign Commerce and Tourism | Eduardo Ferreyros Kuppers Eduardo Ferreyros Kuppers Eduardo Ferreyros Kuppers has been the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Commerce and Tourism under President Alan García since September 2010.-References:... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Interior | Miguel Angel Hidalgo Medina Miguel Angel Hidalgo Medina Miguel Angel Hidalgo Medina has been the Peruvian Minister of the Interior under President Alan García since November 2010.-Biography:In 1973, he joined the Peruvian National Police, and he became an officer in 1977. In 2006, he became a General. He then became the Director of the National Police... |
Military - General | July 2009 to date | Education | Víctor Raul Díaz Chávez Víctor Raul Díaz Chávez Víctor Raul Díaz Chávez has been the Peruvian Minister of Education under President Alan García since March 2011.-References:... |
Independent | March 2011 to date | Health | Oscar Ugarte Ubillús Oscar Ugarte Ubillús Oscar Ugarte Ubillús has been the Peruvian Minister of Health under President Alan García since October 2008.-References:... |
Independent | October 2008 to date | Work and Employment | Manuela Esperanza García Cochagne Manuela Esperanza García Cochagne Manuela Esperanza García Cochagne has been the Peruvian Minister of Work and Employment under President Alan García since July 2009.-References:... |
Independent | July 2009 to date | Agriculture | Rafael Quevedo Flores Rafael Quevedo Flores Rafael Quevedo Flores has been the Peruvian Minister of Agriculture under President Alan García since September 2010.-References:... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Transportation and Communications | Enrique Javier Cornejo Ramirez Enrique Javier Cornejo Ramirez Enrique Javier Cornejo Ramirez has been the Peruvian Minister of Transportation and Communications under President Alan García since September 2010. Prior to that, he was the Minister of Housing and Construction.-Biography:... |
APRA | July 2009 to date | Economy and Finance | Ismael Benavides Ferreyros Ismael Benavides Ferreyros Ismael Benavides Ferreyros has been the Peruvian Minister of Economy and Finance under President Alan García since September 2010.-References:... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Energy and Mining | Pedro Sánchez Gamarra Pedro Sánchez Gamarra Pedro Sánchez Gamarra has been the Peruvian Minister of Energy and Mining under President Alan García since October 2008.-Biography:Pedro Sánchez Gamarra received a Master's degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC... |
Independent | October 2008 to date | Production | Jorge Villasante Araníbar Jorge Villasante Araníbar Jorge Villasante Araníbar has been the Peruvian Minister of Production under President Alan García since September 2010.-References:... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Women's Issues and Social Development | Virginia Borra Toledo de Jimenez Virginia Borra Toledo de Jimenez Virginia Borra Toledo de Jimenez has been the Peruvian Minister of Women's Issues and Social Development under President Alan García since September 2010.-References:... |
Independent | September 2010 to date | Housing, Construction and Sanitation | Ing. Juan Sarmiento Soto Juan Sarmiento Soto Juan Sarmiento Soto has been the Peruvian Minister of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation under President Alan García since September 2009.-Biography:Juan Sarmiento Soto is an engineer... |
APRA | September 2009 to date | Environment | Antonio Brack Egg Antonio Brack Egg Antonio José Brack Egg , is an agronomist engineer, an ecologist, and researcher. He was the first Peruvian Minister of the Environment... |
Independent | July 2008 to date | Culture | Juan Ossio Acuña Juan Ossio Acuña Juan Ossio Acuña has been the Peruvian Minister of Culture under President Alan García since September 2010. He studied at National University of San Marcos. Prior to that, he was a professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.-References:... |
Independent | October 2010 to date |
Public image
Alan Garcia returns in 2006 to the presidency of Peru July 28, 16 years after his first, disastrous term in office ended.During the second government of Garcia, Peru was ranked as Latin America's third-best country for business on the 2008 Latin Business Index from Latin Business Chronicle.
Published works
Alan García is the author of several books on the Peruvian reality and Latin America. Most of them may be found in the National Library of Peru. His published works include the following:- 1988
- 1989
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1994
- 1997
- 1997
- 1999
- 2000
- 2003
- 2005
See also
- 2008 Peru oil scandal2008 Peru oil scandalThe 2008 Peru oil scandal started after a Peruvian TV station broadcast an audio tape of an alleged conversation between a government official and a lobbyist agreeing to help a firm win contracts...
- 2009 Peruvian political crisis2009 Peruvian political crisisThe 2009 Peruvian political crisis resulted from the ongoing opposition to oil development in the Peruvian Amazon, with local Native Americans opposing Petroperú and the National Police...
- Peruvian prison massacresPeruvian prison massacresThe Peruvian prison massacres occurred on June 18–19, 1986, after a series of riots in the San Pedro, Santa Mónica, and El Frontón prisons in Lima and Callao...
External links
- Office of the President of the Republic of Peru Official Site APRA's official site
- Latin Business Chronicle Leader of the Year 2008: Alan García Extended biography by CIDOB Foundation
- Peru Election 2006: Alan García The University of British Columbia
- "Exiled García back in Peru", BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, 28 January 2001 - cverdad.org (A brief report made by the Peruvian Commission of TruthTruth and Reconciliation Commission (Peru)The Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2001 after the fall of president Alberto Fujimori, to examine abuses committed during the 1980s and 1990s, when Peru was plagued by the worst political violence in the history of the republic...
involving Alan García) - Extract from article discussing García's 2006 election victory 23 June 2006
- Welcome to Washington, Mr. Peruvian President: Alan García Perez’s Regional Foreign Policy Analysis by the Council on Hemispheric AffairsCouncil on Hemispheric AffairsThe Council on Hemispheric Affairs is a Washington, D.C.-based non-governmental organization founded in 1975. In its own words, it was established to "promote the common interests of the [Western] hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the...
, 5 October 2006.
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