Alejandro Toledo
| Alejandro Toledo | |
 |
|
|
92nd President of Peru
|
|
|---|---|
| In office July 28, 2001 – July 28, 2006 |
|
| Vice President | Raúl Diez Canseco David Waisman |
| Preceded by | Valentín Paniagua |
| Succeeded by | Alan Garcia |
|
|
|
| Born | March 28, 1946 Cabana, Peru |
| Nationality | Peruvian |
| Political party | Perú Posible |
| Spouse(s) | Eliane Karp |
| Alma mater | University of San Francisco Stanford University |
| Profession | Economist |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian politician and economist. He was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in 2001 defeating former President Alan García. Toledo came to international prominence after leading the opposition against President Alberto Fujimori, who held the presidency from 1990 to 2000.
After his presidential term, Toledo left Peru and went to the USA where he was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University during the 2006-2008 academic years. In 2007-2008 he was a Payne Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a CDDRL (Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law) Visiting Scholar. [1] Simultaneously, Dr. Toledo founded and continues to serve as the President of the Global Center for Development and Democracy, which is based in Latin America, the United States, and the European Union. Dr. Toledo is currently a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., and also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution.
Contents |
Early years
Toledo is one of sixteen children of a family of indigenous campesinos of Quechua heritage[1]. He was born in the village of Ferrer, Bolognesi but registered in the nearby town of Cabana, Pallasca Province, Ancash Department. He grew up in Chimbote, a city on Peru's northern coast. His father was a bricklayer and his mother was a fishmonger. As a child, he worked shining shoes.
Toledo studied at the local state school, G.U.E. San Pedro. At age 16, with the guidance of members of the Peace Corps, Toledo enrolled at the University of San Francisco on a one-year scholarship. He completed his Bachelor's degree in economics by obtaining a partial soccer scholarship and working part-time pumping gas. Later on, he attended Stanford University, where he received a Masters in Economics, a Masters in Education, and completed his PhD in Economics of Human Resources (in 1993) at the Stanford International Development Education Center. After working abroad, he became a professor of Economics at the Universidad del Pacífico in Peru and then at ESAN (Escuela de Administración de Negocios para Graduados) in Peru.
Professional career
Before being elected president, Toledo worked as a consultant for various international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He has also been a regular professor at ESAN, Peru's leading Business School. From 1991 to 1994, he was an affiliated researcher in the field of international development at the Harvard Institute for International Development. Toledo was also guest professor at the University of Waseda in Tokyo and at the Japan Foundation.
Among Toledo's publications are works on economic growth and on structural reforms. However, his latest book, Las Cartas sobre la Mesa (The Cards on the Table), describes his political career which led him to found the party Perú Posible ("Possible Peru").
Political career
Toledo entered politics as an independent candidate for the presidency (gaining 3% of the electorate) in the 1995 election in which Alberto Fujimori was ultimately re-elected. He founded the Perú Posible party in 1994 and declared his intent to run in the 2000 election. Despite a constitutional controversy about his eligibility to serve a third term, Fujimori also announced his candidacy.
Despite being a relatively low-profile politician, Toledo suddenly found himself leader of the opposition against Fujimori and he received the support of most of the other presidential candidates [2]. Despite this, Fujimori managed to beat Toledo, amid allegations of electoral fraud. Toledo refused to participate in a second round against Fujimori (which was required because no candidate had received a majority of the vote) and he unsuccessfully petitioned to have the election annulled. [3]. He later announced his withdrawal [4], but the National Elections Tribunal (Jurado Nacional de Elecciones) didn't receive this petition and proceeded with the vote. At the same time, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights of the OAS recommended that new elections should be held in Peru. [5].
On July 28, 2000, Peruvian Independence Day, Fujimori assumed the presidency for a third term. Toledo led a group of protesters towards Congress. It was a massive, peaceful demonstration, but violence broke out and a powerful explosion produced the death of six people. It was discovered later by the Peruvian Judiciary that the explosion had been produced by the National Intelligence Service run by Vladimiro Montesinos, who has been indicted on corruption and bribery charges.
In November 2000, amid growing allegations of fraud and corruption within his administration, Fujimori agreed to have new elections held in 2001 in which he would no longer be a candidate. While attending the APEC forum in Brunei, Fujimori's party lost control of the Congress. Fujimori then flew to Japan where he submitted his resignation by fax and claimed Japanese citizenship.
After the fall of Fujimori, the newly elected president of the Peruvian Congress, Valentín Paniagua, became interim president and oversaw the already planned new elections on May 29, 2001. Toledo won after a close run-off election with former President Alan García of the APRA party. His margin of victory was slim (52.5% vs 47.5%), despite García's earlier presidential term (1985 to 1990), which was marred by hyperinflation, loss of public and international confidence and capital flight. Toledo's inauguration took place on 28 July 2001.
Presidency
During the five years of his presidency, the Peruvian economy grew at an average of six percent, one of the highest growth rates in Latin America. Inflation averaged 1.5 percent and fiscal deficit went as low as 0.2 percent. During his presidency Toledo addressed the task of reducing poverty. One of the main efforts on doing so was the creation of "Juntos" (Together) Program, which is a conditional cash transfer program directed at women in rural areas who are heads of household. It was initiated in the year 2005 with 120 million nuevos soles and 100,000 families benefited from the program. For the year 2006 the budget was increased to 300 million nuevos soles to benefit 200,000 families, in 320 districts throughout the nine regions of the country. This program has the support of the United Nations Development Program. The current government of Peru decided to continue with JUNTOS.
The Peruvian economy grew steadily during 60 months at an average rate above 6%, then 6.4% in 2005, driven by high mineral prices, private investments, and exports. Private investment was increasing significantly at the same time.
A lot of investment took place in the mining, commerce, and agribusiness sectors. During his administration the country risk was among the lowest in the Latin American region. On July 2006 it was at 168 points.
The economic recovery and the measures taken in the administration of the tax policy contributed to an increase in tax collection. The national tax burden reached 13.6% of GDP in 2005 and 14.9% in 2006. The Peruvian economy has shown one of the lowest inflation rates in the world.
Foreign policy
One of Toledo's major legacies is the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, a free-trade agreement signed on April 12, 2006. The pact was ratified by the Peruvian and US Congress and was implemented by U.S. President George W. Bush during 2008. Toledo has also pushed for an FTA with Thailand, which was to be implemented during 2006. In South America, Toledo has encouraged the start of the development of a highway to open Brazil and Bolivia to Pacific ports, aimed at enhancing the economy of southern Peru, and opening Peru to the trade flows from Brazil towards Asia. He is also considered a promoter of the South American Community of Nations.
Scandals
Toledo has also been troubled by controversies and scandals. Initially, his salary was pegged at USD18,000 per month, but this generated a huge outcry in a country where schoolteachers earn $100-$200 per month, and he later claimed it was reduced to $12,000. In 2002, after steadfastly denying it, he was forced to acknowledge the existence of illegitimate daughter, Zarai, then aged 13. In July 2004, in response to allegations of corruption, Toledo invited government auditors to examine his bank accounts.
In March 2005, another political storm arose, this time over whether his party, Peru Posible, with his blessing, forged thousands of signatures to register for the 2000 elections. A police report determined that 78 percent of the signatures were false; his sister, currently under house arrest, is accused of running a "forgery factory". Toledo finally agreed to talk to congressman Rafael Rey and other legislators investigating the matter after causing an outcry by ducking out of a planned meeting because he refused to have it recorded, and instead giving a television interview denying everything. [6]
In August 2005, the biggest scandal in the Toledo presidency occurred; Toledo, seemingly disconnected from public and political opinion, appointed the questionable Fernando Olivera as Foreign Minister, a move which prompted national outrage and the resignation of three other Ministers, including the Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero, causing, by law, the entire Cabinet automatically submit resignations (the law states that when the Prime Minister resigns, all Cabinet members must submit resignations and hold their charge until the new Prime Minister either ratifies them in their position or accepts their resignation). Toledo then further deepened the scandal by stating, in a press conference, that it was he who ordered his Cabinet to present their resignations, in clear opposition to the law. Though still an evolving situation, Olivera was forced to resign, causing him to be the shortest-serving Minister in the history of Peru. This prompted Olivera to break the Peru Posible - FIM alliance and forbid his party members to participate in any Cabinet positions or other positions of confidence.
When he was sworn into office in July 2001, Toledo had the support of 59% of the population. In March 2005, his popularity went down to 8% [7] — the lowest popularity rating of any South American president. In July 2005, his popularity had raised from 13.5% to 18%, probably due to the public works that his government was working on: the Camisea Gas Project, the construction of the Interoceanic Highway, and the 4%/yr growth in GDP. In August 2005, due to the Olivera scandal, his approval fell to 7%, a new record low. However, in the last few months Toledo's popularity has risen again as he currently has 48% of approval.
Post Presidential Activities
In October, 2006 the Carter Center announced that it had named Toledo to join former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as a co-leader in observing Nicaragua's national elections on November 5, 2006. The Carter Center delegation also included 50 international observers deployed throughout the country. [8]
After his presidential term, Toledo left Peru and went to the USA where he was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University during the 2006-2008 academic years. In 2007-2008 he was a Payne Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a CDDRL (Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law) Visiting Scholar.
Simultaneously, Dr. Toledo founded and continues to serve as the President of the Global Center for Development and Democracy, which is based in Latin America, the United States, and the European Union.
Dr. Toledo is currently a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C. and also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution.
Since leaving the Presidency, Toledo has delivered speeches on international affairs [9] and written an op-ed piece on democracy in Venezuela for the New York Times. [10], as well as an op-ed piece on Peru and Honduras in the Miami Herald.
He has not denied reports that he may make another run for the Presidency of Peru in 2011. [11]
In May 2010 Toledo launched, with Spain's former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, the "Friends of Israel Initiative," a non-Jewish international project supporting Israel's right to exist.[2]
See also
- Politics of Peru
References
- ↑ José Barreiro, Tim Johnson (2005). America Is Indian Country. Fulcrum Publishing. pp. 184. ISBN 155591537X.
- ↑ "Aznar, Trimble to launch new pro-Israel project. 'Friends of Israel'". Jerusalem Post. 31 May 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/jerusalem-post/mi_8048/is_20100531/aznar-trimble-launch-pro-israel/ai_n53871053/. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
External links
- www.AlejandroToledo.org
- An alternative view of Toledo career showing involvement in NWO
- Extended bio and presidential tenure, by CIDOB Foundation (in Spanish)
- Alejandro Toledo: President of Peru
- Peace Corps: Alejandro Toledo
- Alejandro Toledo's commencement speech at Stanford
- Presentation by Alejandro Toledo about Economic Growth and Poverty Eradication - Feb 2007
- "From president of Peru to just Palo Alto guy" by Tyler Bridges in San Francisco Chronicle February 11, 2007
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Valentín Paniagua |
President of Peru 2001 – 2006 |
Succeeded by Alan García |
|
|||||||
