Peru
Oct 17th 2007
From Economist.com
In June 2006 Peruvian voters re-elected Alan García as their president, 16 years after sacking him from the job. Mr García succeeded Alejandro Toledo, who spent his five years as president trying to spur an incipient economic recovery, cleaning up corruption and restoring the public confidence destroyed by Alberto Fujimori, his tyrannical predecessor.
During his first year in office Mr García oversaw the country's best economic performance since the 1960s, yet failed to earn much credit for it. Half of Peru's population lives in poverty, including most of the country's Quechua-speakers. Mr García must do more to spread the gains of growth, which often rides on mineral wealth. He must also mind progress towards coca eradication and recovery from a disastrous earthquake in August 2007. Climate change too is starting to rear its head as a major worry.
(See also our Country Briefing on Peru)
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