1949- . Peruvian politician, leader of the
moderate, left-wing APRA party; president
1985-90.
He was born in Lima and educated in Peru,
Guatemala, Spain, and France. He became
APRA's secretary-general 1982. In 1985 he
succeeded Fernando Belaunde Terry as
president, becoming the first civilian
president democratically elected. He
inherited an ailing economy and was forced to
trim his socialist programme.