Peru President Speaks at Forum

President of Peru Alejandro Toledo explained increased expenditures on education and health would stimulate economic growth and reinforce democracy in Peru, during an address to a packed audience at the ARCO forum Saturday afternoon.

As part of his plan to focus public expenditures on moving the country out of poverty, Toledo announced his plan to decrease military spending by 20 percent.

“It makes no sense for the world to sell F-16s...while the level of poverty increases,” he said.

He added the decrease would be made even if other Latin American nations refused to make similar reductions in defense spending.

Toledo’s address—part of this weekend’s Harvard International Development Conference—comes after eight months in office, following the fall of Alberto Fujimori. During his speech, Toledo described Fujimori’s government as one mired in corruption and instability.

When asked by a member of the audience, Toledo said Japan should be held responsibility for refusing to extradite Fujimori for trial in Peru on corruption-related charges. Fujimori fled to Japan at the end of his rule.

Toledo also criticized recently-deposed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a supporter of Fujimori, for exercising authoritarian power under the guise of democr

The address came before Chavez’s reinstatement yesterday, the result of the pressured resignation of Pedro Carmona, who had succeeded Chavez as president.

But Toledo said it was easier to bring down Fujimori than poverty’s grip on the country, the main focus of the address.

Toledo stressed the urgency in solving poverty, as more than half Peru’s population lives below the poverty line. He noted that poverty affects more than just a family’s standard of living.

“Poverty conspires against democracy,” Toledo stated several times during the speech.

To bring Peru out of its poverty, Toledo emphasized the importance of education and democratic stability.

He suggested three methods to find the funds to pay for these efforts to reduce poverty—building open competitive markets with other nations, having developed nations relieve Peru’s debt and decreasing military spending.

And Toledo deflected the recent drop in his popularity among Peruvians, saying he refused to increase deficit spending because he was more concerned with future generations than with future reelection.

Both Toledo and Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers—who introduced the speech—mentioned Toledo’s indigenous roots, first-hand experience with poverty and eventual attainment of a high-quality education.

As the first Peruvian president of indigenous origin, Toledo said he has always been surrounded by the devastating effects of poverty, including the premature deaths of seven of his 16 siblings.

Toledo said his academic opportunities and successes were a result of luck, but hoped future generations would have the freedom to choose similar educational options.

The audience generally responded positively to the speech, giving Toledo standing ovations and praising his attendance during the public comment portion of the speech.

But some students said they were unimpressed by the speech.

“He’s talking like a politician; he’s not saying anything new. Yes, we all want to alleviate poverty, but he didn’t say anything refreshing to me,” said RAZA President Maribel Hernandez ’04.