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Fernando Belaúnde Terry (October 7, 1912 - June 4, 2002) was the constitutional President of Peru for two terms (19631968 and 19801985). He fervently promoted and defended the democratic system.
Belaúnde was born in Lima into a wealthy family. His father was Mr. Rafael Belaúnde his mother Mrs. Lucía Terry. He was the second of four children. Studied in "La Recoleta", a primary school in Lima. His father moved the family to France and Fernando studied High School there.
From 1924 to 1935, he studied architecture in the United States and France, graduating as an Architect in the University of Austin, Texas. He worked as an architect in Mexico for a brief time, but returned to Peru in 1936, where he started his professional career in the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería. After a few years he became Dean of the Architecture Faculty.
Belaúnde political career began in 1956, when he founded the Popular Action Party ("Accion Popular"). His presidential candidature was launched by the "National Front of Democratic Youth". He was able to garner strong popular support, but was not enough to get him the presidency. He obtained the second place, and the election was won by Manuel Prado. Between 1956 and 1962, Belaunde travels to many different places in Peru, going from village to village looking for inspiration. During that time, the ideological principles of the Popular Action Party began to form and mature.
Belaunde ran for president once again in the general elections of 1962, with his own party, Accion Popular. Serious problems in the elections forced the Peruvian military to depose president Prado and the creation of a Military Junta to run the country. In 1963, Belaunde was installed as president by the junta that ruled Peru at the time. The junta had just overthrown Ricardo Pío Pérez Godoy and decided that moderate Belaúnde would be a better replacement. However, Belaúnde mishandled the economy and by 1967 the sol was seriously devaluated.
A long dispute over the claims of the International Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey, in the rich La Brea y Pariñas oil fields was "finally settled" according to the Belaúnde government in August of 1968. However, widespread anger about Belaúnde's decision to pay the US Standard Oil Company of New Jersey compensation for handing over the installation to Peru forced his Cabinet to resign on October 1. A further cause of anger was the fact that the document of agreement was given by Belaunde to the Press with the final page 11 missing and "signatures" were cramped in at the bottom of page 10. The missing page 11 became a cause celebre and was later shown on television containing the contribution that Belaunde had promised to pay. Several days later, Belaúnde himself was overthrown.
On August 29, 1975, a coup d'état overthrew the Peruvian government. The leader of the coup, Juan Velasco Alvarado, promised free elections in 1980, and in those elections, Belaúnde was once again elected.
Belaúnde began his second term as Peruvian president by adopting a new constitution. The Constitution that existed in 1975 had been abrogated by his predecessor. Gradually he undid the agrarian reform initiated by Velasco and reversed his independent stance vis a vis the United States. During the next five years, per capita income declined, Peru's foreign debt rose, and violence by leftist guerillas (notably the Shining Path group) mounted.
In the elections of 1985, Belaúnde was defeated by American Popular Revolutionary Alliance candidate Alan García.
Belaúnde was known for his pro-US political stance and his attempts at democratic reform. Although members of his party were accused of corruption, Belaúnde was never directly accused of anything, and managed to gain the respect of many Peruvians at various times throughout his life.
Belaúnde died in Lima in 2002 at age 89.
Main projects and accomplishments under Belaunde's government
Althought the military dictatorship of Velasco tried to hide the accomplishments of the Belaunde government, there are many projects that were developed by Belaunde, with notorious honesty, veracity and diligence. Among them:
- Gave back to the people their right to chose their municipal leaders.
- Managed to keep the most ample and unrestricted freedom of expression.
- Firmly defended national sovereignity, especially regarding the jurisdiction of Peru on its 200 miles of territorial ocean.
- Tried to get back, for the nation, the oil fields of La Brea and Pariñas, (Velasco accomplished this)
- Built the Marginal Highway of the Jungle, which impacted opening up the agricultural frontier of Peru.
- Created the Peruvian National Bank (Banco de la Nación).
- Initiated the main hydroenergetic projects: Tinajones, Jequetepeque, Majes, Chavimochic, Olmos, Chinecas). Finalized the great Santiago Antunez de Mayolo Project and advanced with the Chira Piura project.
- His second term was autodenominated: The five years of the Education"
- Approved the "escalafón", benefited mostly the teachers in the Public educational system.
- Executed a vast plan of "social interest" homes in Lima and other cities. For example, in Tumbes his government built the "Andrés Araujo Morán" project), which gave a new home to more than 500,000 people.
- Created the Tumbes National University, the "José Antonio Encinas" school, the "Capitán FAP José Abelardo Quiñones" superior technological institute.
- Cretated the Tumbes Development Corporation (CTAR)
- Issued an oil-tax law that gave tax funds for public projects for the Tumbes municipalities, University and CTAR Tumbes.
- Rebuilt the North Panamerican highway, finishing in his term the total track for Tumbes - Los Órganos, and built the current police stations in Tumbes.
- Created "Popular Cooperation", building with it hundreds of centers, medical posts, police posts, comunal gathering places and others. Always with the motto: "The People did this"
- Supported agriculture after torrencial rains severely damaged thousands of acres of crops using contingency funds.
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