Fernando Belaúnde Terry

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This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Belaúnde and the second or maternal family name is Terry.

Fernando Belaúnde
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85th and 88th President of Peru
In office July 28, 1963 – October 3, 1968
Preceded by	Nicolás Lindley
Succeeded by	Juan Velasco
In office July 28, 1980 – July 28, 1985
Preceded by	Francisco Morales Bermúdez
Succeeded by	Alan García
Personal details
Born	October 7, 1912 Lima, Peru
Died	June 4, 2002 (aged 89) Lima, Peru
Nationality	Peruvian
Political party	Acción Popular
Alma mater	University of Miami University of Texas at Austin
Profession	Architect
Religion	Roman Catholic

Fernando Belaúnde Terry (October 7, 1912 – June 4, 2002) was President of Peru for two non-consecutive terms (1963–1968 and 1980–1985). Deposed by a military coup in 1968, he was re-elected in 1980 after eleven years of military rule. During both terms, economic turbulence and the increase of terrorist activities in the country led to human rights violations by both insurgents and the Peruvian armed forces. Nevertheless, he was recognized for his personal integrity and his commitment to the democratic process.

Second presidency (1980-1985)

One of his first actions as President was the return of several newspapers to their respective owners. In this way, freedom of speech once again played an important part in Peruvian politics. Gradually, he attempted to undo some of the most radical effects of the Agrarian Reform initiated by Velasco, and reversed the independent stance that the Military Government of Velasco had with the United States.

At the outbreak of the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Britain, Belaúnde declared that "Peru was ready to support Argentina with all the resources it needed." This included a number of fighter planes from the Peruvian Air Force, ships, and medical teams. Belaunde's government proposed a peace settlement between the two countries, but the Argentine military junta rejected it^[2][3] and the British launched an attack on the Argentinian forces deployed around the islands. In response to Chile's support of Britain, Belaúnde called for Latin American unity.

In domestic policy, he continued with many of the projects that were planned during his first term, including the completion of what is considerated his most important legacy, the Carretera Marginal de la Selva, a much-needed roadway linking Chiclayo on the Pacific coast with then isolated northern regions of Amazonas and San Martín.

After a promising beginning, Belaúnde's popularity eroded under the stress of inflation, economic hardship, and terrorism: per capita income declined, Peru's foreign debt burgeoned, and violence by leftist insurgents (notably Shining Path) rose steadily during the internal conflict in Peru, which was launched the day before Belaúnde was elected in 1980.

Regarding Shining Path, Belaúnde personally did not pay too much attention to this: insurgent movements were already active during his first term, but without much support. In addition, some government officials and insurgents were subsequently accused of human rights violations, and a state of emergency was promulgated in the Ayacucho and Apurímac regions.

During the next years, the economic problems left over from the Military Government persisted, worsened by an occurrence of the "El Niño" weather phenomenon in 1982–83, which caused widespread flooding in some parts of the country, severe droughts in others, and sharply reduced the schools of ocean fish that are one of the country's major resources.

[edit]Later years

During the national elections of 1985, Belaúnde's Party, Acción Popular, was defeated by APRA candidate Alan García. However, as established in the 1979 Constitution, he would go on to serve in the Peruvian Senate as Senador Vitalicio ("senator for life"), a privilege for former Presidents abolished by the 1993 Constitution.

Belaúnde died in Lima in 2002 at age 89 with the most spectacular funeral ever held for a former President in the country's history. Thousands of admirers flooded the streets of Lima to pay their final respects to the man many considered the father of Peru's modern democracy.

[edit]Notes

1. ^ Gunther, John, Inside South America, p. 322
2. ^ The Deseret News:http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19820503&id=D0AjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W4MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4450,301914
3. ^http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/fernando-belauacutende-terry-645279.html

[edit]Further reading

• Peru's Own Conquest by Fernando Belaúnde Terry (translated by David A. Robinson)
• Inside South America by John Gunther
• Peru: A Country Study, published by the United States Library of Congress

[edit]External links

• [Adelante.doc] Editorial del Diario Expreso
• [1] Página oficial de Acción Popular.
• Extended biography by CIDOB Foundation (in Spanish)
• "Peru mourns death of 'model democrat'" (BBC News)
• El Arquitecto Peruano, Belaunde's magazine (Spanish and English)

Party political offices
Preceded by —	Acción Popular presidential candidate 1962 (lost) 1963 (won) 1980 (won)	Succeeded by Javier Alva Orlandini
Preceded by —	General Secretary of Acción Popular July 1956 – August 2001	Succeeded by Valentín Paniagua
Political offices
Preceded by Nicolás Lindley	President of Peru July 1963 – October 1968	Succeeded by Juan Velasco President of the Revolutionary Government
Preceded by Francisco Morales Bermúdez	President of Peru July 1980 – July 1985	Succeeded by Alan García
Preceded by —	Senator of the Republic July 1985 – April 1992	Succeeded by none (Senate dissolved) Fuente:

Fuente:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Bela%C3%BAnde_Terry