Juan Velasco Alvarado | |
---|---|
50th President of Peru | |
In office October 3, 1968 – August 30, 1975 | |
Prime Minister | Ernesto Montagne Sánchez Luis Edgardo Mercado Jarrín Francisco Morales Bermúdez |
Preceded by | Fernando Belaúnde |
Succeeded by | Francisco Morales Bermúdez |
General Commander of the Peruvian Army | |
In office 1967–1968 | |
President | Fernando Belaúnde Terry |
Preceded by | Julio Doig Sánchez |
Succeeded by | Ernesto Montagne Sánchez |
Personal details | |
Born | Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado June 16, 1910 Castilla, Peru |
Died | December 24, 1977 Lima, Peru | (aged 67)
Spouse | |
Profession | Military officer |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Peru |
Branch/service | Peruvian Army |
Rank | General |
Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado (June 16, 1910 – December 24, 1977) was a Peruvian general who served as the President of Peru after a successful coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency in 1968. Under his presidency, nationalism, as well as left-leaning policies that addressed indigenous Peruvians,[1] such as nationalization or agrarian reform were adopted. These policies were reversed after another coup d'état in 1975 led by his Prime Minister, Francisco Morales Bermúdez.
Velasco had a confrontational foreign policy towards the United States, as he pushed for renegotiation of treaties and criticized what he perceived as a pernicious dependence of Latin American states on the United States.[2] While he strengthened Peruvian relations with the Soviet Union, Velasco was firmly anti-communist.[2] His foreign policy has been described as "third way."[2]