Luis Juan Alva Castro (born 17 February 1942) is a Peruvian economist and politician. In his political career, he achieved the government positions of
Second Vice President of Peru
The Republic of Peru has two vice presidents, the First Vice President and the Second Vice President, who are elected along with the President in democratic elections. Their only constitutional mission is to replace the President in case of deat ...
,
Prime Minister of Peru
The president of the Council of Ministers of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Consejo de Ministros del Perú), informally called Premier (form of address) or Prime Minister, is the head of the cabinet as the most senior member of the Council ...
,
President of the Congress and among other portfolios during both administrations of President
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
.
A prominent member of the
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
, he was the party's presidential nominee in 1990, getting 22.5% of the vote and placing third overall and failed to qualify for the runoff that was eventually won by
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator,
*
*
*
*
*
*
he remains a ...
. He has authored numerous works about
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre (February 22, 1895 – August 2, 1979) was a Peruvian politician, philosopher, and author who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) political movement, the oldest currently existing political p ...
's lifetime, being considered one of the few historians of "Aprismo" in Peru. He currently presides the editorial "Instituto Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre", which publishes his works.
Biography
Luis Alva Castro was born in the city of Trujillo, in a family with a long Aprista tradition. His parents were Luis Alva and Rosalía Castro.
Transferred to Lima, he completed his primary studies at the Claretian School and his secondary studies at the Leoncio Prado Military School. He returned to his hometown and in 1960 he entered the Faculty of Economics at the National University of Trujillo, where he graduated from high school and obtained the title of economist, thanks to his thesis on "Economic Integration of Latin America" (1964).
In 1996, he studied a postgraduate degree in Political Science at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University.
Political career
Early political career
Alva started at a very young age in the
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
, being part of the youth wing since he was 15 years old. His first partisan office was Secretary of the Northern Regional Command in 1965. He graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor in Economics from the
National University of Trujillo
The National University of Trujillo ( es, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo) (UNT) is a major public university located in Trujillo, Peru, capital of the department of La Libertad. The university was founded by Simón Bolívar and José Faustin ...
, based on the merit of his thesis titled "Economic Integration of Latin America".
At 24, he was a member of the board of directors of the Development Corporation of La Libertad (CORLIB), whose experience in planning and management applied him as an executive of private and public companies. The military government of
Juan Velasco Alvarado
Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado (June 16, 1910 – December 24, 1977) was a Peruvian general who served as the President of Peru after a successful coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency in 1968. Under his presidency, nationalism ...
unjustly accused him of mishandling and was imprisoned in a
Trujillo prison, from 1970 to 1972.
During the development of the
Constituent Assembly of 1978–1979, he served as Private Secretary of
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre (February 22, 1895 – August 2, 1979) was a Peruvian politician, philosopher, and author who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) political movement, the oldest currently existing political p ...
, becoming one of his most conspicuous disciples.
Congress
In the
1980 general election, he was the Campaign Head of
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
presidential nominee
Armando Villanueva
Armando Villanueva del Campo (25 November 1915 – 14 April 2013) was a Peruvian politician who was the leader of the Peruvian American Popular Revolutionary Alliance. Born in Lima, his parents were Pedro Villanueva Urquijo, a gynecologist in ...
. He was elected to the
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
, representing
La Libertad for the 1980–1985 term, serving as the Party Spokesperson.
In government
In 1985, he was selected as part of
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
presidential ticket for the
1985 general election in which he was the second running mate of García. Jointly reelected to Congress, he was appointed
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
and
Finance Minister
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
,
serving between 1985 and 1987. Peru developed a steady economy during his tenure, promoting
heterodoxy
In religion, heterodoxy (from Ancient Greek: , "other, another, different" + , "popular belief") means "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position". Under this definition, heterodoxy is similar to unorthodoxy, wh ...
as a good start. The economic plan proposed by
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
clashed with Alva, leaving his post as the economy would prove to be artificial, evolving into a catastrophic policy of
Macroeconomic populism Macroeconomic populism is a term coined by Rudi Dornbusch and Sebastian Edwards in a 1990 paper. The term refers to the policies by many Latin American administrations by which government spending and real wages increase in a non-sustainable way le ...
.
One month later after his resignation as both Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Alva was elected as
President of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Chamber of Deputies may refer to:
* List of presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
* List of presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia
* President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
* President of the Chamber of Dep ...
, serving for one year. His increasing party support would prove him as a potential rival in the party leadership to president
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
. In 1989, he was elected as Secretary General of the
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
.
1990 presidential campaign
With the country in crisis and the constant attacks from the
Shining Path
The Shining Path ( es, Sendero Luminoso), officially the Communist Party of Peru (, abbr. PCP), is a communist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla group in Peru following Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Gonzalo Thought. Academics often refer to the gro ...
and
MRTA, the population participated in the
1990 general election. Since 1987, acclaimed writer
Mario Vargas Llosa
Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...
had prepared a full-scale presidential campaign with the
Democratic Front Democratic Front is a name used by political parties and alliances in several countries, such as:
*Democratic Front (Albania)
*Democratic Front for the Liberation of Angola
*Democratic Front (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
*Democratic Front (Cyprus)
* Demo ...
coalition, composed of
Liberty Movement
Liberty Movement () was a classical liberal political party in Peru. It was founded in 1987 by people who opposed decrees such as the nationalization of the banking sector in 1986 under the first presidency of Alan García. Instead it advocated ...
, the
Christian People's Party and
Popular Action, the last two being traditional parties. The
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
nominated Alva to run for the Presidency against Vargas Llosa, although it was clear that the latter would win in the first round. Unexpectedly, third party nominee and virtually unknown
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator,
*
*
*
*
*
*
he remains a ...
of
Cambio 90
Cambio 90 (lit. ''Change 90'', C90) was a Peruvian right-wing political party which entered the political spectrum in early 1990, and throughout the 1990s until late-2000 was the most powerful political party in Peru alongside New Majority, ser ...
rose in the polls with a clear anti-partisan speech, beating Alva to the second round as the APRA achieved 22.5% of the popular vote and placed third. The election outcome would give victory to
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator,
*
*
*
*
*
*
he remains a ...
, with most analysts discussing a possible agreement with president
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
, as Alva's votes would pass on to Fujimori.
Return to Congress
The
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
, led by Alva from outside Congress as Secretary General, achieved 53 deputies and 16 senators, representing a third of each chamber. The congressional term would end with the
1992 self-coup, which dissolved the entire legislative branch.
In the following years, under the Fujimori's government, Alva would not have greater political participation, except in his party when he was elected again as Secretary General in 1996, a position he held until 1999.
In the
2000 general election, he was elected to Congress with a majority of 35,336 votes. The 2000–2005 term would be shortened with the convoking of
new general elections for 2001, due to the corruption allegations against
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator,
*
*
*
*
*
*
he remains a ...
and his resignation. In those elections, Alva was reelected to Congress with a majority of 95,050 votes. Based on his experience and high vote count, he was appointed Party Spokesperson, a position he exerted while serving in the abolished Chamber of Deputies. He also served as President of the
Andean Community of Nations
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...
in 2001.
In August 2005, he was appointed as President of the
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre (February 22, 1895 – August 2, 1979) was a Peruvian politician, philosopher, and author who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) political movement, the oldest currently existing political p ...
Private Institute. During this time, he published a renowned work titled "The Asylum Man" (El Señor Asilo), based Haya de la Torre's experience as political refugee in the Colombian Embassy in Peru, during the proceedings of the
Asylum case
''Colombia v Peru'' 950ICJ 6(also known as the ''Asylum Case'') is a public international law case, decided by the International Court of Justice. The ICJ recognised that the scope of Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Just ...
determined by the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
.
For the
2006 general election, Alva was appointed
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
Campaign Head for the North, proving the victory for
Alan García
Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...
with the Aprista stronghold in the North of Peru. Conjointly, he was reelected for a third term in Congress, with a majority of 57,409 votes. During the 2006–2011 parliamentary term, he was elected
President of the Congress for a year in 2009, for the 2009-2010, being his first time in charge of the same legislative body since 1987 when he was the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
Second García administration
Alva was Minister of the Interior from 2007 to 2008, succeeding
Pilar Mazzetti
Pilar Elena Mazzetti Soler (born 9 September 1956) is a Peruvian physician and health administrator who served as Minister of Health from July 2020 to February 2021, excluding her for nine days from office during the brief presidency of Manuel Me ...
. His tenure lasted a little more than a year and a half. After the resignation of
Jorge del Castillo
Jorge Alfonso Alejandro Del Castillo Gálvez (born 2 July 1950) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. In his career, he has served in the now abolished Peruvian Chamber of Deputies between 1990 and 1992, in the unicameral Congress of the Republi ...
as Prime Minister due to the
2008 Peru oil scandal
The 2008 Peru oil scandal started after a Peruvian TV station broadcast an audio tape of an alleged conversation between a government official and a lobbyist agreeing to help a firm win contracts. The speakers were allegedly Alberto Quimper, an ...
, Alva Castro was not confirmed in his position by new Prime Minister
Yehude Simon
Yehude Simon Munaro (born 18 July 1947) is a Peruvian politician, who served as Governor of the Lambayeque Region between 2003 and 2008, Prime Minister between 2008 and 2009 and as a Congressman from Lambayeque between 2011 and 2016, elected und ...
, being succeeded by former Police General Remigio Hernani Meloni.
Post-Congressional career
Alva failed to achieve a fourth reelection to Congress in the
2011 general election. During the campaign, he was involved in a deadly car accident in the
Agallpampa District
Agallpampa District is one of ten districts of the province Otuzco in Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_ ...
, Otuzco Province. He was the only survivor, as the other
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
provincial leaders accompanying him perished in the accident.
Controversies
On 11 April 2019, at the request of chief prosecutor José Domingo Pérez, judge Richard Concepción Carhuancho gave Alva impediment to leave the country for 18 months, for alleged money laundering, in the framework of the investigation by
Odebrecht scandal in Peru. According to the prosecutor's thesis, Alva, in his position of Campaign Head, personally managed to have the Brazilian conglomerate
Odebrecht
Odebrecht S.A. (), officially known as Novonor, is a Brazilian conglomerate, headquartered in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, consisting of diversified businesses in the fields of engineering, construction, chemicals and petrochemicals. The company w ...
financially support the 2006
Peruvian Aprista Party
The Peruvian Aprista Party ( es, Partido Aprista Peruano, PAP) () is a Peruvian political party and a member of the Socialist International. The party was founded as the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) by Víctor Raúl Haya de l ...
election campaign, having received USD $200,000 in bribes.
References
External links
*
Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alva Castro, Luis
Living people
1942 births
20th-century Peruvian politicians
21st-century Peruvian politicians
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance politicians
Presidents of the Congress of the Republic of Peru
Peruvian Ministers of Interior
Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Peru
Members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru
Prime Ministers of Peru
Peruvian Ministers of Economy and Finance
Vice presidents of Peru
Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Peru
Candidates for President of Peru
National University of Trujillo alumni
Peruvian prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of Peru
People from Trujillo, Peru