Progressive Social Movement (in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Movimiento Social Progresista'') was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

founded in 1956. Its leaders included Santiago Agurto Calvo (general secretary), Alberto Ruiz Eldredge and the Salazar Bondy brothers.

Development

Peru went through political upheaval in 1956 when long-serving dictator

Manuel A. Odría Manuel Arturo Odría Amoretti (26 November 1896 – 18 February 1974) was a military officer who served as the 45th President of Peru, essentially ruling as a military dictator. Biography Early life and military career Manuel Odría was ...

announced plans for democratic elections, resulting in a raft of political parties, some transient in nature, springing up. Those behind the formation of the MSP had initially been part of one of these groups Popular Action, but split almost immediately to form their own party. They sought support amongst urban professionals by professing an agenda that supported scientific advancement and

technocracy Technocracy is a form of government in which the decision-maker or makers are selected based on their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts wi ...

as the cures for Peru's ills.Neira, p. 443 The MSP contested the 1962 elections, presenting Alberto Ruiz Eldredge as their Presidential candidate, but struggled for support due to the similarity of their programme to that of Popular Action and their lack of a charismatic leader in the mould of

Fernando Belaúnde Terry Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...

. Many of their pro-science and technology positions had been co-opted by Belaúnde as the founding

ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied pri ...

of Popular Action. Torn between two wings, one sympathetic to the

Cuban revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...

and the other prepared to work with the new Belaúnde government, the MSP disappeared from the political scene soon after the 1962 elections as its leading members drifted to other groups including both Popular Action and opposition groups to the left. The 1968 coup that brought

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

General

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 ...

to power saw a number of MSP leaders return to influence even though the party had long disappeared by then.Neira, p. 444

Bibliography

* Hugo Neira, "Peru" in JP Bernard et al., ''Guide to the Political Parties of South America'', Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973

References

Political parties established in 1956 Defunct political parties in Peru {{Peru-party-stub