Dictatorships Series - Legacies of Dictatorship in Peru

Unlike many other military dictatorships in Latin America, the Peruvian variant (1968-80) took on a left-wing, reformist character.  It brought important changes to the structure of property-owning, both through an extensive agrarian reform and the nationalisation of several prominent industries previously run by multinationals.  It also sought to open up new areas for public participation, albeit within the confines of a dictatorship.  Its reformist thrust however was blunted when General Velasco was removed and replaced as president by General Francisco Morales Bermúdez in 1975.  Though many of the reforms of this period were reversed under subsequent constitutional governments after 1980, the experience of military dictatorship cast a long shadow that endures (in some ways) up to the present.

With John Crabtree - a research associate of the Latin American Centre, Oxford University, and a senior member of Saint Antony’s College.  He holds BA/MA degrees in modern history from Oxford University, a BPhil from Liverpool University, and a PhD from Oxford Brookes University.  He has written and lectured widely on the politics of Latin America, with a specialist interest in the politics of the Andean region.  His latest book is ‘Bolivia: Processes of Change’, published in 2013 by Zed Press.  His PhD thesis topic was on electoral politics in Peru, and he is currently working on a book about extractive industries in Peru.