Alan García
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2008-07-16T17:40:22Z
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Added link to Bayly's article where he is referenced
{{Infobox President
| name = Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez
| image = Garciaalan09112006.jpg
| order = [[President of Peru]]
| primeminister = [[Jorge Del Castillo|Jorge del Castillo]]
| vicepresident = [[Luis Giampietri Rojas|Luis Giampietri]]<br> [[Lourdes Mendoza]]
| term_start = [[28 July]][[2006]]
| term_end =
| predecessor = [[Alejandro Toledo]]
| successor =
| primeminister2 = [[Luis Alva Castro|Luis Alva]]<br>[[Armando Villanueva del Campo|Armando Villanueva]]<br>[[Luis Alberto Sánchez]]
| vicepresident2 = [[Luis Alberto Sánchez]]<br>[[Luis Alva Castro|Luis Alva]]
| term_start2 = [[28 July]] [[1985]]
| term_end2 = [[28 July]] [[1990]]
| predecessor2 = [[Fernando Belaúnde Terry|Fernando Belaúnde]]
| successor2 = [[Alberto Fujimori]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|05|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lima]], [[Peru]]
| spouse = Carla Buscaglia (div.)<br>[[Pilar Nores de García|Pilar Nores]]
| party = [[Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana|APRA]]
| alma_mater = [[San Marcos University]]<br>[[Sorbonne]]
| religion = [[Roman Catholic]]
}}
'''Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez''' (born [[May 23]], [[1949]] in [[Lima]]) is the current President of [[Peru]], having won the [[Peruvian national election, 2006|2006 elections]] on [[June 4]], [[2006]] in a run-off against [[Union for Peru]] candidate [[Ollanta Humala]].<ref>[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/49A76531-B028-4524-A697-9270F81738A8.htm Garcia wins to become Peru president], [[al-Jazeera]], [[June 5]], [[2006]]</ref> He is the leader of the [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|Peruvian Aprista Party]] and the only APRA party member ever to have served as [[List of Presidents of Peru|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]].
== Early years ==
García was born in [[Lima]] into a middle-class family with close ties to the already established [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] party. His father, Carlos García Ronceros, was the secretary of APRA during the government of [[Manuel A. Odría]], which had declared the party illegal. Given his political militancy, his father was later arrested and imprisoned, leaving him alienated from his family and not meeting his son Alan until five years later.
García studied at the Colegio Nacional José María Eguren in [[Barranco]], a district of [[Lima]]. He went on to university studies at the [[Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú|Pontificia Universidad Católica]] and later earned his law degree at the [[National University of San Marcos]] in 1971. Afterwards, he moved to [[Europe]], attending the [[Universidad Complutense de Madrid|Universidad Complutense]] in [[Madrid]], where he studied and completed his thesis on [[constitutional law]], earning himself a doctorate in [[political science]]. In 1973, he went on to the [[University of Paris]], where he obtained a degree in [[sociology]]. García lived several years in [[Paris]] but, in 1978, [[Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre]], the elder leader of the [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] party (who would die one year later), urged him to return to political life in Peru, after the [[Francisco Morales Bermúdez|Morales Bermúdez]] administration presided over the return to civilian government and allowed the reorganization of other political parties.
== 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 Barrantes Lingán|Alfonso Barrantes]] (former leftist mayor of Lima) of the [[United Left (Peru)|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 [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] party had come to power in Peru. Aged only 36, García was dubbed "[[Latin America]]'s [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]]," becoming the region's youngest president at the time.
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 destabilizing the Peruvian economy. Owing to such chronic inflation, the Peruvian currency, the [[Peruvian sol|sol]], was replaced by the [[Peruvian inti|Inti]] in mid-1985, which itself was replaced by the [[Peruvian nuevo sol|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 [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]] dropped 20%. By the end of his term, national reserves were a negative $900 million.
According to studies of the [[INEI|National Institute of Statistics and Informatics]] and the [[United Nations Development Programme]],<ref>[http://www.yachay.com.pe/especiales/internet/index1.htm Perú], Atlas Internet ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])</ref> 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 [[nationalization|nationalize]] 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 [[Shining Path]], which launched the [[internal conflict in Peru]] and began attacking electric 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 [[campesino]]s were gunned to death by the Peruvian armed forces in August 1985, the [[Cayara massacre]] (May 1988) in which some thirty were killed and dozens disappeared, and [[Peruvian prison massacres|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 [[classified information|declassified]] report, written in late 1987, said that Garcia'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, sent people to train in [[North Korea]] and may have been involved in executions <ref name=Ko> [[Lucy Komisar]], [http://thekomisarscoop.com/2007/12/05/peru-us-govt-document-links-garcia-to-1980s-death-squads/ Peru: US Gov’t Document Links García to 1980s Death Squads], [[Inter Press Service]], December 5, 2007.</ref>. According to investigative journalist [[Lucy Komisar]], the report made it clear that it believed that García was giving the orders <ref name=Ko/>.
In addition, there were unconfirmed but popular rumours that he was suffering from mental disorders, and was a lithium user. There were also rumours of ties to Colombian drug dealers, aside from public charges of high-level corruption and theft at all levels of his government, and the naming of APRA party members to various administrative positions that they were not qualified for.
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]], great increase in poverty levels and an electric train multi-million investment in [[Lima]] that was never finished. His critics claim the many poor decisions he took while in office created an environment that lead to the rise of an authoritarian leader like [[Alberto Fujimori]]. Some suspect García and APRA cut a deal with Fujimori during the [[Peruvian national election, 1990|1990 election]], backing him in return for immunity, so as to prevent [[Mario Vargas Llosa]] and his [[FREDEMO]] party, then leading in the polls, from coming to power. During the campaign, Vargas Llosa had promised to investigate corruption in the García administration.
== Post-presidency ==
In 1992, García went into exile to [[Colombia]] and later to [[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{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. 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]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1125214.stm "Peru court lifts Garcia corruption charge"] January 19, 2001 ''BBC''</ref> There were charges of corruption involved in this decision {{Fact|date=April 2008}}, 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{{Fact|date=April 2008}}, in addition to having his daughter enrolled in a top private school in France, if his only alleged income was from being an occasional guest speaker and the author of a few books with poor sales{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. His long-time ally [[Jorge Del Castillo]] represented him as his lawyer and performed very heavy lobbying {{Fact|date=April 2008}} for allowing García to legally return to Peru. After Castillo was elected to Congress, he had much more leverage for García's defence.
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.
[[Image:Peru 2006 2nd Rnd.png|right|200px|thumb|Geographic distribution of second-round votes, by winning candidate.<br/>
{{legend|#C80000|Alan García, >2/3 of valid votes}}
{{legend|#FF6464|Alan García, <2/3 of valid votes}}
{{legend|#0050CD|Ollanta Humala, >2/3}}
{{legend|#5AAFFF|Ollanta Humala, <2/3}}]]
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 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, that had helped him being elected in 1985. García managed to obtain 48% of the vote in the run-off, losing by a close margin to [[Alejandro Toledo]]. This was despite the movement "Voto Nulo" (vote in blank), 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. Since the [[Peruvian national election, 2001|2001 election]], García, as leader of the APRA party, led the main opposition.
García officially started his campaign for the [[Peruvian national election, 2006|April 2006 presidential election]] in Lima on [[February 18]], [[2005]]. [[Ollanta Humala]] won the 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 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 became 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". García, in response, stated that Chávez was "not acting as a statesman" and challenged Chávez to a debate to be hypothetically hosted by [[CNN]]. García also called on the [[Organization of American States]] to intervene in the matter.<ref>{{lang|es|[http://www.eluniversal.com/2006/04/28/pol_ava_28A700911.shtml Alan García reta a Chávez a polemizar por CNN]}}, ''[[El Universal (Caracas)|El Universal]]'', [[28 April]], [[2006]] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])</ref> <ref>[http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/peru/archives/026151.php Alan García in Dispute with Hugo Chávez], [[University of British Columbia]] — Peru Elections 2006, [[April 28]], [[2006]]</ref>
On [[May 31]], [[2006]], a few days before the second round 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]].<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aamnzC.ydw6g "Peru's García Pledges to Renew IMF Loan Agreement (Update2)"], [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]], [[May 31]], [[2006]]</ref> 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."<ref>[http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-06-14T173726Z_01_N14243851_RTRIDST_0_ECONOMY-PERU-IMF-URGENT.XML "IMF says "impressed" with Peru's Garcia's vision"], June 14, 2006 (''[[Reuters]]'').</ref>
== 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 didn't get the votes of Humala's strongholds such as the southern region (mostly impoverished but including major cities as Cuzco and Arequipa) and the rain forest areas. Voting for him was dubbed by a third of the voters as "voting for the lesser of two evils": although many people in Peru had a very negative impression of García after his first presidency, 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 his patronage of Humala's party. Humala denied these rumours, but his conflicting statements about his government's vision and [[Hugo Chávez]]'s strong campaigning for him created enough suspicions among voters to cost him the [[Two-round system |ballotage]].
With thirty-six seats, APRA has the second largest bloc in the 120-seat unicameral [[Congress of Peru|Congress]] which was sworn in a couple of days before the President. With forty-five seats, Humala's [[Union for Peru]] Party has the largest bloc, although it has divided in up to three factions.<ref>[http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/peru/archives/027538.php Exit Poll Results: Alan Garcia in First Place] [[University of British Columbia]] — Peru Elections 2006, [[June 4]], [[2006]].</ref>
Following his victory García stated that he "seeks 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 [[Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement|trade agreement]] 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 sustained 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 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]].
On 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". Newspapers in Lima published that APRA was looking for collaboration with the famous Peruvian economist [[Hernando de Soto (economist)|Hernando de Soto]], possibly as Prime Minister. However, the position of Prime Minister was given to [[Jorge Del Castillo]], his long time collaborator. According to the BBC, in private interviews García has stated his interest in a possible future trade agreement with Brazil and considers himself "an admirer" of Brazilian President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva|Lula da Silva]].<ref name=BBC>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_5053000/5053786.stm "García desestima roces con Chávez"] June 6, 2006 ''BBC Mundo''.</ref>
In press conferences with the foreign press García has acknowledged that the support Humala had 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".<ref name=BBC/> However, Mr.Humala has said he won'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".<ref>[http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionImpresa/Html/2006-06-08/ImpPortada0519174.html Humala says he won't give García truce], [[El Comercio]], [[June 8]], [[2006]].</ref>
[[Image:Alan Garcia with G.W. Bush.jpg|thumb|left|Alan García at the [[White House]].]]
President Chávez of Venezuela responded to García's comments on his show ''[[Aló Presidente]]'' by stating that it was Alan 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.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=auW9d5zYWIf8&refer=latin_america "Peru President-Elect Garcia Owes Venezuela Apology, Chavez Says"], June 11, 2006 ''[[Bloomberg Television|Bloomberg]]''</ref> García, attending an invitation to meet Brazilian president Lula da Silva, responded back to Chávez by stating: "accept your defeat in silence. Don't ask me to apologize for something arising from interference and remarks that are unacceptable under international law."<ref>[http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=winterOlympics&storyID=2006-06-13T204316Z_01_N13404272_RTRUKOC_0_US-PERU-GARCIA-VENEZUELA.xml "Peru's Garcia refuses to apologize to Chavez"], June 13, 2006 ''[[Reuters]]''</ref>
Differences with Chávez were left behind after García and he ended their controversy at the II South American Community of Nations Summit.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/10/america/LA_GEN_Peru_Making_Friends.php "Peru's Garcia cozies up to Ecuador, Venezuela"], December 9, 2006 ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''</ref>
<ref>[http://www.livinginperu.com/news/2837 "Garcia and Hugo Chavez set differences aside"], December 9, 2006 ''[[Living in Peru]]''</ref>
On [[July 20]], [[2006]] García named [[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|Alejandro Toledo's]] government, as Finance Minister of his new government. The appointment was welcomed by some detractors of García's fiscal policies during his first administration. Mario Huamán Rivera, the President of Peru's largest trade union the [[Confederación General de Trabajadores del Perú]] (General Workers Confederation of Peru), however has attacked the appointment stating that "it looks as though Alan García is not going to fulfil his promise to change economic policy".<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a9ekLgWB7qoI&refer=latin_america "Garcia Names Carranza Peru's Next Finance Minister"] July 20, 2006 ''[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]''</ref><ref>Hal Weitzman, [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1b7eb492-191f-11db-b02f-0000779e2340.html "Garcia's choice of finance minister cheered"] July 22, 2006 ''[[Financial Times]]''</ref>
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 Finances and Economy, and José Antonio García Belaúnde as Foreign Affairs Minister.<ref>[http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B86307643-394F-4096-B318-E03BCCB9351E%7D&language=EN "Alan Garcia Announces Peruvian Staff"] July 28, 2006 ''Prensa Latina''</ref> García was inaugurated as President of Peru on July 28, 2006.<ref>Tyler Bridges, [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15147459.htm "Alan Garcia inaugurated as president of Peru"] July 28, 2006 ''[[The Miami Herald]]''</ref>
During his campaign, García declared that he supports death penalty for rapists of minors;<ref>[http://www.lostiempos.com/noticias/21-09-06/21_09_06_inter3.php "Alan García envía al Congreso propuesta para pena de muerte"] September 21, 2006 ''[[Los Tiempos]]''</ref> he has repeated this stance while in office. He has even proposed a polemic<!--??--> law on the matter, which would modify the Criminal Code.<ref>Cecilia Rosales Ferreyros, [http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionImpresa/Html/2006-08-09/ImEcPolitica0555518.html "García plantea volver a aplicar pena de muerte"] August 9, 2006 ''[[El Comercio]]''</ref> Although the issue seemed to be stalled, García widened the range of his proposal for death penalty, including terrorists onto the list of those who could receive it.<ref>[http://www.livinginperu.com/news/2666 "Peru's President in favor of death penalty for terrorists"] November 2, 2006 ''[[Living In Peru]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionImpresa/Html/2006-11-02/ImEcPolitica0607142.html "Alan García: guerra avisada, señores, no mata gente"] November 2, 2006 ''[[El Comercio]]''</ref>
On [[October 23]], [[2006]], García publicly admitted that he had had a child outside of marriage, although he had fully recognized him as his own. With his wife standing by his side, García told the media the name of the one year and ten-month old child: Federico Danton García Cheesman. García said that the child resulted from an affair he conducted between 2004-2005 when he was separated from his wife.<ref>Peru.com, [http://www.peru.com/noticias/idocs/2006/10/23/DetalleDocumento_348905.asp "Tengo un Niño Lindo"]</ref> [[César Hildebrandt]], the Peruvian journalist who revealed García's 6th child, was fired from the newspaper ''La Primera'' newspaper three days after García's public declaration. It is a matter of debate if his sacking had to do with the revelation or with the imprecise allegations he issued in order to make the episode into a bigger story.
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 of Peru|Congress]] in a vote of 49 to 26. García had promised to introduce the death penalty for Shining Path rebels during the [[Peruvian national election, 2006|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 three thousand supporters of the proposal marched in Lima holding up photos of victims of attacks by the Shining Path.<ref>[http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionOnline/Html/2007-01-19/onEcPortada0654596.html "Presidente García insiste en aplicar la pena de muerte"] January 19, 2007 ''[[El Comercio]]''</ref>
===Foreign affairs===
After being elected, but before his inauguration, García sought to heal the relationship with Chile, which had been disturbed after some differences between the governments of [[Alejandro Toledo]] and [[Ricardo Lagos]] and severely impaired by the former Peruvian President [[Alberto Fujimori]]'s extradition affair.<ref>"Will Chile send Fujimori to Peru?" January 5, 2006 ''[[The Economist]]''</ref> García's intentions were well-received by [[Michelle Bachelet]], President of Chile, as she and García met and struck some pre-agreements.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_5108000/5108534.stm "Alan García se reunió con Bachelet"] June 23, 2006 (''[[BBC]]'').</ref><ref>Noriega, Carlos [http://www.pagina12.com.ar/imprimir/diario/elmundo/4-68933-2006-06-24.html "Del odio al amor hay sólo un paso"] June 24, 2006 ''[[Página 12]]''</ref> These conversations would eventually lead to the final draft of a landmark economic agreement with Chile a month after García was sworn in.<ref>[http://www.direcon.cl/documentos/peru/Agosto22-TLC_Chile_Peru%20_firma_.pdf "Chile y Perú firman primer TLC entre países sudamericanos"] August 22, 2006 ''Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile''</ref>
<ref>[http://www.laultima.com/noticia.php?id=18020&seccion=Econom%C3%ADa&idcategoria=3 "Perú y Chile suscriben un 'histórico' acuerdo comercial"] August 24, 2006 ''[[La Última]]''</ref>
On [[November 9]], [[2006]], President Alan García signed twelve commercial agreements with [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]], President of [[Brazil]],<ref>[http://www.livinginperu.com/news/2704 "Garcia: Peru and Brazil trust in the power of its people"] November 9, 2006 ''Living in Peru''</ref><ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/200611/10/eng20061110_320276.html "Brazil, Peru sign 12 cooperation agreements"] November 10, 2006 ''People's Daily''</ref> strengthening the relationship between both countries. As part of the [[IIRSA]] program and continuing integration efforts -including the August 2006 negotiations between [[Petrobras]] and [[PETROPERU]]-<ref>[http://www2.petrobras.com.br/ri/ing/noticias/notas/Notas_peru2.asp "Peru - Agreement with state companies from Peru"] ''Petrobras - Investor News''</ref>, these new agreements seek to further bilateral cooperation.
<ref>Andrade, Juliana [http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/noticias/2006/11/09/materia.2006-11-09.5850440490/view "Após encontro, Lula e García firman acordos de cooperação bilateral"] November 9, 2006 ''[[Agência Brasil]]''</ref> García offered Peruvian hydropower to meet Brazil's growing energy needs, although further details were not disclosed.
<ref>Clendenning, Alan[http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8LAE3EG0.htm "Peru president offers energy to Brazil"] November 10, 2006 ''Business Week''</ref>
García mended relations with [[Venezuela|Venezuelan]] President [[Hugo Chávez]] 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 [[Peruvian national election, 2006|2006 Peruvian Presidential election]] where Chavez supported García's opponent [[Ollanta Humala]].<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/10/america/LA_GEN_Peru_Making_Friends.php "Peru's Garcia cozies up to Ecuador, Venezuela"] December 9, 2006 ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''</ref>
===Council of Ministers===
{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="6" style="margin:3px;" align="center"
!colspan="4" bgcolor="#000000"| </tr>
|align="left"| '''Ministry''' ||align="center"| '''Name''' ||align="center"| '''Party''' ||align="center"| '''Term''' </tr>
!colspan="4" bgcolor="#000000"| </tr>
| '''President of the Council of Ministers''' || [[Jorge Del Castillo]] || [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Foreign Relations''' || [[José García Belaúnde|José García]] || Independent || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Defense''' || [[Antero Flores Aráoz|Antero Flores]] || Independent || December 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Agricultural''' || [[Ismael Benavides]] || Independent || May 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Work and Employment''' || [[Mario Pasco]] || Independent || December 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Woman and Social Development''' || [[Susana Pinilla]] || Independent || December 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Economy and Finance''' || [[Luis Carranza]] || Independent || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Transportation and Communications''' || [[Verónica Zavala Lombardi]] || Independent || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Housing, Construction and Sanitation''' || [[Enrique Cornejo]] || [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] || December 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Foreign Commerce and Tourism''' || [[Mercedes Aráoz|Mercedes Aráoz Fernández]] || Independent || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Production''' || [[Rafael Rey|Rafael Rey Rey]] || [[National Renewal (Peru)|PRN]] || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Health''' || [[Hernán Garrido Lecca]] || [[APRA]] || December 2007 to date </tr>
| '''Energy and Mining''' || [[Juan Valdivia Romero]] || [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]] || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Education''' || [[José Antonio Chang]] || Independent || July 2006 to date </tr>
| '''Interior''' || [[Luis Alva Castro|Luis Alva]] || [[APRA]] || February 2007 to date </tr>
|'''Justice''' || [[Rosario Fernández]] || Independent || December 2007 to date </tr>
|}
== 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{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''A la inmensa mayoría: discursos''}}
* 1989{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''El futuro diferente''}}
* 1989{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''El desarme financiero: pueblo y deuda en América Latina''}}
* 1990{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''La revolución regional''}}
* 1991{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''La defensa de Alan García''}}
* 1992{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''El nuevo totalitarismo''}}
* 1994{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''El mundo de Machiavello''}}
* 1997{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''La falsa modernidad''}}
* 1997{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''Siete tesis erróneas del neoliberalismo en América Latina''}}
* 1999{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''Mi Gobierno hizo la regionalización''}}
* 2000{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''La década infame: deuda externa 1990–1999''}}
* 2003{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''Modernidad y política en el siglo XXI: globalización con justicia social''}}
* 2005{{nbsp|2}}{{lang|es|''Sierra Exportadora - Empleo, Modernidad y Justicia en Los Andes''}}
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.presidencia.gob.pe/mantenimiento.asp Office of the President of the Republic of Peru] ''Official Site''
*{{es icon}} [http://www.la-tribuna.org/ APRA's official site]
*{{es icon}} [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/peru/alan_garcia_perez Extended biography by CIDOB Foundation]
*[http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/peru/archives/024210.php#more Peru Election 2006: Alan García] ''The University of British Columbia''
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1140885.stm "Exiled Garcia back in Peru"], [[BBC News Online]], [[28 January]] [[2001]]
*[http://www.cverdad.org.pe/ifinal/pdf/TOMO%20III/Cap.%202%20Los%20actores%20polIticos/2.2%20PARTIDO%20APRISTA.pdf cverdad.org] (A brief report made by the ''[[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Peru)|Peruvian Commission of Truth]]'' involving Alan García)
*[http://www.janes.com/regional_news/americas/news/fr/fr060623_1_n.shtml Extract from article discussing Garcia's 2006 election victory] 23 June 2006
*[http://www.coha.org/2006/10/05/welcome-to-washington-mr-peruvian-president-alan-garcia-perez%e2%80%99s-regional-foreign-policy/ Welcome to Washington, Mr. Peruvian President: Alan García Perez’s Regional Foreign Policy] Analysis by the [[Council on Hemispheric Affairs]], 5 October 2006.
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{{Succession box
| before = [[Fernando Belaúnde Terry|Fernando Belaúnde]]
| title = [[List of Presidents of Peru|President of Peru]]
| years = 1985 – 1990
| after = [[Alberto Fujimori]]
}}
{{Succession box
| before = None
| title = Senator of the Republic
| years = 1990 – 1992
| after = None<br><small>[[Dissolution of parliament|Senate dissolved]]</small>
}}
{{Incumbent succession box
| before = [[Alejandro Toledo]]
| title = [[List of Presidents of Peru|President of Peru]]
| start = 2006
}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{Incumbent succession box
| before = [[Jorge del Castillo]]
| title = General Secretary of the [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]]
| start = 2001
}}
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{{Presidents of Peru}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Presidents of Peru|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Constituent Congressmen|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Deputies|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian opposition leaders|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian presidential candidates|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Aprista Party members|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Senators|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Current national leaders|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian politicians|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian socialists|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Democratic socialists|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian lawyers|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Political repression|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian democracy activists|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Roman Catholics|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:People from Lima|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:1949 births|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Living people|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian Christian socialists|Garcia, Alan]]
[[Category:Peruvian exiles|Garcia, Alan]]
[[ast:Alan García Pérez]]
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[[ru:Гарсиа Перес, Алан]]
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[[th:อาลัน การ์ซีอา]]
[[zh:阿兰·加西亚·佩雷斯]]