Alan García

Alan García

Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈalaŋ ɡaβˈɾjel luðˈwiɣ ɡaɾˈsi.a ˈpeɾes]; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru for two non-consecutive terms from 1985 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2011. He was the second leader of the Peruvian Aprista Party and to date the only party member ever to have served as President. Mentored by the founder of the APRA, Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, he served in the Constituent Assembly of 1978–1979 presided over by his leader, which drafted the Constitution of 1979. Elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1980. He was elected to the Presidency in the 1985 general election. His first presidential term was marked by a severe economic crisis, social unrest and violence. He ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2001, losing the run-off to Alejandro Toledo. In 2006, he was elected to the presidency for a second term. Throughout Garcia's second term, Peru experienced a steady economy, becoming the fastest growing country in Latin America in 2008, surpassing China in terms of rising GDP. The economic success of his presidency would be acclaimed as a triumph by world leaders, and poverty was reduced from 48% to 28% nationally. In addition, Peru signed free trade agreements with the United States and China during his presidency, but Garcia was also accused of corruption. He was succeeded by his former 2006 run-off rival Ollanta Humala in 2011. He withdrew from party politics after failing to advance to the second round of the 2016 general election, placing fifth in his bid for a record third term as president as the candidate of the heavily criticized Popular Alliance coalition between his party and the centre-right Christian People's Party, which included former rival Lourdes Flores as his first running mate.On 17 April 2019, García died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head as police officers were preparing to arrest him over matters relating to the Odebrecht scandal. He was transferred in serious condition to the Casimiro Ulloa hospital, where he remained for more than three hours in the operating room, during which time he had three cardiorespiratory arrests before his death. García became the second head of state of Peru to commit suicide after Gustavo Jiménez, who did so in 1933. García is considered one of the most controversial yet talented politicians of Peru's contemporary history. He was known as an immensely charismatic orator.

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