Between August and September of 2005, ODI carried out consultations for the Civil Society Partnerships Programme (CSPP) in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. This process helped identify key collaborators in the region: CIES in Peru, ILDIS in Bolivia and CIPPEC in Argentina. The consultations suggested that Latin America is home to a rich and credible academic and research community. Latin American researchers, unlike those in other regions, do not lack research resources and skills and understand the complexities of the policy processes of their countries –probably because, unlike many other developing regions, Latin America has been independent for close ...   more »

Ironic that the markets rallied on the news that Garcia won considering the impact his previous presidency had on the Peruvian economy in the 1980s: cumulative inflation in the five years of his presidency was 2,200,200% (see the FT's article today - 6 June: "Peru markets welcome Garcia election win"). However, with the financial markets, things are always relative...   more »

In the spring 2000, I turned on the TV to see Vladimiro Montesinos hand over US$15,000 in cash to Alberto Kouri. They were sitting in Montesinos’ office and he was being paid to jump sides and join Fujimori’s party in an attempt to gain majority in Congress. The videos kept appearing one after the other. Soon, everyone was on TV: Politicians, business leaders and bankers, unionists, TV celebrities, footballers, generals, mayors, members of congress, news readers and journalists, media moguls, judges, ministers.  It was better than any reality TV show. It was more captivating. It was more unbelievable than ...   more »

Two major conferences being held in London on Latin American economics and politics last week, one at the London School of Economics (jointly with the Institute for the Study of the Americas) on 1-2 June, and one at the London Business School on 2 June. Both reinforced the fact that Latin America is very much in the news and on the minds of politicians, policy makers, academics and business owners. They also reinforced that perceptions of Latin America are quite divergent (and perhaps more divergent than they have been in recent memory). While some emphasised the region's improving macroeconomic performance and political pragmatism, others lamented lack of competitiveness vis-à-vis China (and Asia more generally), the rather tenuous inroads of regional integration and the lagging process of democratic consolidation.   more »

The latest polls (and first)

APOYO: Alan Garcia 52.8% and Ollanta Humala 47.2%

DATUM: Alan García 54.9% and Ollanta Humala 45.1%

There is talk about a possible gain from Humala, in particular as the votes from the more marginal areas come in; and as it is expected that many people have been rather embarrassed to declare their choice. APRA is already celebrating but the expectation remains until the National Electoral Authority finished with the process of counting the votes.

The latest commentaries from experts suggest that Peru will see Alan (unless there is a significant change in the polls) 'crowned' ...   more »