Martín Vizcarra
Who was Martín Vizcarra?
Civil engineer who became President of Peru in 2018 after Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's resignation and served until being impeached by Congress in November 2020.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Martín Vizcarra (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo was born on March 22, 1963, in Lima, Peru. He studied civil engineering and worked in both the private sector and public administration before getting into politics. Early on, he served as the Governor of the Moquegua Region from 2011 to 2014, earning recognition for various infrastructure projects and regional development efforts.
Vizcarra's national political career started when he joined Pedro Pablo Kuczynski as his running mate for the 2016 presidential election. After their win, he became the First Vice President and was appointed as Ambassador to Canada in 2017. However, he had to return when President Kuczynski faced political pressure over corruption linked to the Odebrecht scandal.
On March 23, 2018, Vizcarra became president following Kuczynski's resignation, stepping into a country dealing with a political crisis and corruption issues. His administration aimed to tackle corruption, implement judicial reform, and improve infrastructure. He pushed for constitutional changes to strengthen democratic institutions and reduce corruption, like overhauling the judicial system and reforming campaign finance.
Throughout his presidency, Vizcarra had ongoing conflicts with Congress, mostly due to his anti-corruption policies. His administration faced major hurdles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic struggles, and political instability. On November 9, 2020, the Peruvian Congress removed him from office via impeachment, citing alleged moral incapacity linked to corruption charges from his time as Governor of Moquegua.
After his removal, Vizcarra faced legal actions related to corruption accusations. His presidency aimed for institutional reform during one of Peru's most challenging political times, though his efforts were ultimately limited by the same systemic issues he tried to address.
Before Fame
Martín Vizcarra grew up in Peru during the shift from military rule to democracy in the 1980s, a time of economic instability and the rise of the Shining Path insurgency. He completed his civil engineering studies amid the hyperinflation crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Peru faced major economic challenges under Alan García's first presidency.
His political career took off around the time of Peru's decentralization in the 2000s, which opened up new roles for regional leadership. As Governor of Moquegua, a mining area in southern Peru, he gained experience in handling infrastructure projects and interacting with mining companies, skills that later shaped how he approached national governance.
Key Achievements
- Served as Governor of Moquegua Region from 2011-2014
- Assumed presidency during major political crisis and maintained government stability for over two years
- Promoted anti-corruption reforms and judicial system overhaul initiatives
- Led Peru's initial COVID-19 pandemic response and lockdown measures
- Pushed for constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions
Did You Know?
- 01.He was serving as Ambassador to Canada when he was called back to assume the presidency
- 02.His impeachment made him the second Peruvian president to be removed from office by Congress in the 21st century
- 03.He survived a first impeachment attempt in September 2020 before being successfully removed two months later
- 04.As Governor of Moquegua, he oversaw projects funded by mining revenues from one of Peru's copper-rich regions
- 05.He assumed the presidency exactly one day after his 55th birthday