Alejandro Toledo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alejandro Toledo
Toledo in 2015
56th President of Peru
In office 28 July 2001 – 28 July 2006
Prime Minister	Roberto Dañino Luis Solari Beatriz Merino Carlos Ferrero Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
Vice President	1st Vice President Raúl Diez Canseco (2001–2004) 2nd Vice President David Waisman
Preceded by	Valentín Paniagua
Succeeded by	Alan García
President of Possible Peru
In office 1 March 1994 – 13 July 2017
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Party dissolved
Personal details
Born	Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (1946-03-28) 28 March 1946 (age 79) Cabana, Peru
Political party	Possible Peru (1994–2017)
Spouse	Eliane Karp
Alma mater	University of San Francisco (BA) Stanford University (MA, PhD)
Profession	Economist, politician, academic

Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian former politician. He served as the President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He became well-known for leading the opposition against former president Alberto Fujimori. On October 21, 2024, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for taking bribes. This was related to a highway contract given to the Brazilian company Odebrecht.

Toledo studied at the University of San Francisco and Stanford University. He first worked as an economist and academic. He often shared his views on politics and economics. He entered politics by starting the Possible Peru party. He first ran in the 1995 Peruvian general election. In 2000, he became the main opposition leader against Alberto Fujimori. He lost that election in a controversial process. After a period of change, he ran again in the 2001 Peruvian general election. He won against Alan García in the second round with 53.1% of the votes.

His time as president saw a strong economy. He encouraged foreign investment and signed free trade agreements. He also started many projects for buildings and human development. However, Toledo also faced problems. There were issues in his personal life and accusations of corruption against people close to him. These problems made his popularity drop very low. He tried to become president again in 2011 and 2016, but he did not win.

After being president, he worked at Stanford University. He was also a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Brookings Institution. Toledo gave talks in many countries about economics, helping people, and democracy. He also led his political party, Possible Peru, which no longer exists. In 2006, he started the Global Center for Development and Democracy. This group works to support strong democracies.

On July 16, 2019, Toledo was arrested in the United States. This was because Peru asked for him to be sent back to face charges. He was released on bail in March 2020. In April 2023, a U.S. court approved his extradition. He was sent back to Peru on April 23, 2023.

Early Life

Toledo was born into a poor family from the Quechua people. He was the eighth of sixteen children. Seven of his brothers and sisters died when they were young. He was born in a small village but was registered in the nearby town of Cabana, Peru.

As a child, he worked hard. He shined shoes, sold newspapers, and lottery tickets. When he finished elementary school at age 11, his father wanted him to get a job. But with his teacher's help, Toledo kept going to school. He worked nights and weekends. He was the first person in his family to go to high school. Later, he worked as a news reporter for La Prensa in Chimbote. There, he interviewed many important politicians.

Toledo's chances improved when two Peace Corps volunteers came to his family's home. These Americans were impressed by Toledo's hard work and charm. They talked with him for a year. This helped Toledo learn about the world outside his village. It inspired him to apply for a scholarship to study in the United States. He received a one-year grant. In the U.S., the volunteers helped him get into a special program at the University of San Francisco.

He earned a bachelor's degree in economics and business from the University of San Francisco. He did this with a scholarship and by working part-time. Starting in 1970, he went to Stanford University. He earned two master's degrees there. In 1993, he received his PhD in human resources from Stanford's graduate school of education.

Early Career

From 1981 to 1983, Toledo led the Institute for Economic and Labor Studies in Lima. This was part of the Ministry of Labor. At the same time, he advised the Central Reserve Bank and the labor minister on economic matters.

Toledo also worked as a consultant for many international groups. These included the United Nations and the World Bank. He also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Labour Organization (ILO). He led a mission in 1989 to study how economic policies affected jobs and salaries in Central America.

He was also a professor at ESAN University, a top business school in Peru. He was its director from 1986 to 1991. From 1991 to 1994, he was a researcher at the Harvard Institute for International Development. He was also a guest professor in Japan.

Presidential Election

Toledo first entered politics as an independent candidate for president in 1995. He won 3% of the votes. Alberto Fujimori was re-elected that year. Even though Toledo lost, the party he started in 1994, Perú Posible, became more popular. Toledo decided to run again in the 2000 Peruvian national election. Fujimori also ran for a third term, which caused some debate.

Toledo became the main leader of the opposition against Fujimori. Toledo promised to keep and improve the market economy. He also wanted to fix problems with inequality. He promised to make government more democratic. He also wanted to improve Peru's social services. During his campaign, he said he would raise salaries for government workers. He also promised to create 400,000 jobs each year. These jobs would come from programs helping farming, tourism, and small businesses. Toledo often called for more investigations into the government. He wanted to look into claims that the Fujimori government had stolen billions of dollars.

His campaign also touched on racial and ethnic themes. Toledo was running to be Peru's first indigenous president. He called himself El Cholo, which means "the mixed-race person." Many indigenous Peruvians hoped he would focus on their issues. Toledo's background and friendly style made him popular with both indigenous and non-indigenous Peruvians.

On election day, April 9, 2000, news channels quickly announced that Toledo had more votes than Fujimori. These reports were based on exit polls. However, later projections based on actual vote counts changed. They showed Fujimori in the lead. Fujimori was close to winning more than 50%, which would avoid a second round.

There were claims of electoral fraud. An election monitoring group reported a website that could hack into the election system. Toledo said there was fraud. Other opposition candidates agreed and joined protests led by Toledo. The U.S. government called the election results "invalid." Since no one won a majority, a second round was needed. But Toledo refused to take part and withdrew from the race on May 26, 2000. He tried to get the election canceled. He also asked international groups not to recognize Fujimori's government.

On July 28, 2000, Fujimori began his third term. Toledo led a protest towards Congress. The protest started peacefully. But then violence broke out, and six people died in an explosion. Later, it was found that the explosion was planned by the National Intelligence Service. This service was run by Vladimiro Montesinos, who was already accused of corruption. Montesinos fled the country. But then videos, called "Vladi-videos," were released. The first video showed Montesinos bribing a congressman. This led to Fujimori's downfall.

In November 2000, with more accusations of fraud, Fujimori agreed to new elections in 2001. He also said he would not run. While he was at a meeting in Brunei, his party lost control of Congress. Fujimori then flew to Japan. He resigned and claimed Japanese citizenship.

After Fujimori's fall, Valentín Paniagua became interim president. He oversaw the new elections on May 29, 2001. Toledo won after a close second round against former President Alan García. Toledo received 53.07% of the vote. This made him the first South American president of indigenous descent to be democratically elected in 500 years.

Presidency (2001–2006)

High Expectations

During his campaign, Toledo promised Peruvians many things. He promised higher wages, a fight against poverty, and anti-corruption measures. He also promised more jobs, better pensions, and military reform. People expected him to solve many problems from the past 30 years. But Toledo found it hard to keep all these promises. This led to widespread unhappiness. His approval ratings were often very low during his presidency.

Toledo also promised open market reforms and free trade. He said he would not privatize public services. But soon after taking office, he met with IMF officials. He promised to raise money by selling state assets.

In his first year, Peru also faced a terrible earthquake. This disaster caused much damage and made economic problems worse.

National Accord

In November 2001, Toledo started talks that led to the National Accord on July 22, 2002. In this agreement, seven political parties and seven social groups agreed on a plan for the next twenty years. The plan had 24 goals in four areas. These included democracy, fairness, economic strength, and good government. At first, the accord opened up discussions in Peru. But within a year, people felt it was not as effective as hoped.

Indigenous Issues

Toledo often spoke about his heritage during his campaign. He continued efforts to discuss the needs of indigenous people. His inauguration ceremony was held at Machu Picchu. Presidents from neighboring Andean countries joined him. They signed the "Declaration of Machu Picchu," promising to protect indigenous rights.

Toledo created a new agency for indigenous and Afro-Peruvian affairs, CONOPA. His wife, First Lady Eliane Karp, led this agency. It aimed to help indigenous communities and represent their interests in government. Some people criticized this, but the agency did good work. It promoted indigenous rights in the new constitution.

As president, Toledo worked to get ancient Inca artifacts back from Yale University. He believed these artifacts could help Peruvians learn about their history.

He also focused on bilingual education in indigenous schools. He created a new division in the Ministry of Education for this. This gave advocates more power to shape policy.

Toledo's efforts to decentralize government aimed to give indigenous groups more say in regional policy. The first regional elections in 2002 required that 15% of candidates in indigenous areas had indigenous backgrounds.

Toledo noted the growing gap between the rich and poor. He said that including indigenous people in Peru's social and political system was key to growth.

Some critics worried about Toledo's economic plans. They said projects like the Camisea Gas Project harmed indigenous communities and the environment. They felt that mining companies bought land cheaply and forced indigenous people off their historical lands.

Labor Unrest

Peru's economy grew strongly under Toledo. But he still faced many labor protests. Workers demanded higher wages and that campaign promises be kept. Peru's economy had a problem: much of it was "informal." This meant many businesses did not pay taxes. Tax collections were low. So, Toledo's government could not easily pay the higher wages promised to civil servants.

The cost of living in Peru also went up. These problems, along with joblessness and low wages, made people doubt Toledo. By 2003, his approval rating was very low.

Social Initiatives

Toledo did put some of his plans for social improvements into action. Paved roads increased by 20% during his time. Medical care for the poor doubled in rural areas. Public sector salaries went up, with teachers' pay rising by 87%. Over 100,000 new homes were built for poor Peruvians.

By 2004, Peru had a strong social safety net. This included food programs for 35% of the population. There were also work programs for unskilled workers. Toledo put food and building programs under the Ministry for Women and Social Development. He encouraged local governments to take on more responsibility.

Education

Toledo inherited an education system with many problems. It had low quality, few resources, and unfairness. Toledo started Project Huascaran. This project connected primary and secondary schools to a national computer network. He had promised to double teachers' salaries. But teachers' unions opposed linking pay raises to skills.

In 2002, Toledo declared an emergency in education. He set four goals:

• Improve the quality of education.
• Focus on basic education.
• Emphasize teacher training.
• Evaluate and improve schools.

Enrollment in schools stayed high. But overall literacy and test scores only slightly improved. Toledo later said he wished his government had done more for education.

Healthcare

In his first year, Toledo replaced old health insurance programs for the poor. He created a new, free program called Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS). This program aimed to give Peruvians without health insurance better access to care. By the end of his term, SIS covered over 11 million Peruvians. These were people living in poor city areas or rural areas.

The program was very popular. It has been praised for helping indigenous people and women. It also helped with the higher healthcare costs for Peruvian women. Lawmakers continue to build on SIS. They hope it will lead to universal healthcare for all Peruvians.

Toledo also tried to improve healthcare in remote places. His Juntos program gave monthly money to poor families. In return, families had to get vaccinations, health screenings, and send children to school. The Toledo government also gave money to young doctors. This encouraged them to work in remote areas for their first few years.

Housing

In 2001, Peru had a big housing shortage. Many people in cities lived in slums. Toledo's government tried to make housing more affordable. They offered subsidies, loans, and help with down payments. They also encouraged banks to help lower-income people. Most of these efforts were part of the Fondo Mivivienda program, which started in 1999.

Decentralization

Under Fujimori, Peru's government was very centralized. Toledo wanted to change this. He made decentralization one of his most successful reforms. He announced regional elections when he took office. He also created a commission to develop proposals for decentralization. In 2002, a change to the constitution was approved. It set up three levels of government: local, regional, and national. Over the next few years, Congress slowly gave more resources and duties to regional and local governments. These included food programs, social projects, and health and education programs.

Toledo's plan for decentralization was popular. Most of the opposition came from politicians and government agencies. They were used to a centralized government.

Foreign Relations

Toledo's government was very active in foreign policy. Its main goals were to promote democracy and fight poverty. It also aimed to encourage economic growth in border areas. Reducing arms spending in the region was another goal. Peru also wanted to strengthen ties with Asian countries. It aimed to join the Andean Community of Nations. Peru also became a partner member of Mercosur, a free trade zone.

Asia

Toledo's government held talks about free trade with Singapore and Thailand. They also agreed on air travel with Thailand. An agreement to send criminals back to their home country was signed with South Korea. In 2004, China said Peru was an official tourist destination. In 2005, the countries signed several trade agreements.

Brazil

Toledo wanted Peru to work more closely with Brazil and MERCOSUR. In August 2003, Toledo met with former Brazilian president Lula. They agreed to more cooperation. This included large projects to develop economic hubs in South America. They discussed building roads. President Lula also agreed to let Peru use Brazil's surveillance systems in the Amazon.

United States

President Toledo worked hard to build a good relationship with the U.S. He called it a personal friendship with President Bush. Bush praised Toledo's economic and security policies. During a visit to Peru, Bush announced a center for teacher training in Peru. In June 2002, the U.S. agreed to forgive $14 million of Peru's debt. In return, Peru promised to invest in conservation projects. In September, Toledo secured $300 million from Bush. This money was for developing alternative crops in coca-producing areas. In 2003, the Peace Corps returned to Peru.

Peru did not support the U.S. efforts in the War in Iraq. It refused to support the intervention in any international meetings.

Peru – United States Trade Promotion Agreement

The United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is a trade agreement between the two countries. Its goals are to remove trade barriers and encourage private investment. It also covers economic, legal, and environmental policies. The agreement was signed on April 12, 2006. It was approved by Peru's Congress in June 2006. The U.S. House of Representatives approved it in November 2007, and the U.S. Senate in December 2007. The agreement started on February 1, 2009.

Peru hoped the agreement would:

• Continue and expand trade benefits.
• Attract foreign investment.
• Create jobs.
• Make the country more competitive.
• Increase workers' income.
• Reduce poverty.

The U.S. hoped the agreement would:

• Improve access to goods and services.
• Strengthen its investments.
• Promote security and democracy.

The agreement faced some criticism. In Peru, Toledo strongly supported it. But current President Ollanta Humala was its biggest critic. One concern was about land resources. Some groups worried it would open up large areas to foreign companies for logging, oil, and mining.

Most criticism focused on its impact on Peru's farming. Peruvian farmers might struggle to compete with subsidized U.S. crops. To help, Peruvian lawmakers created a fund. It gave $34 million per year to cotton, corn, and wheat farmers for five years. This was to help them adjust to the new competition.

Economic Policy

Toledo's economic policies favored free trade. He took over an economy that had been unstable. It had periods of growth and shrinkage. Inflation had been high. Toledo focused on fighting poverty, creating jobs, and modernizing the government.

One of his plans to raise money was to sell state-owned industries. The first big effort was selling two electric companies for $167 million. But protests in Arequipa turned violent. Peruvians were angry about possible job losses and higher electricity prices. They also remembered that money from past privatizations had gone into the former president's personal accounts. Toledo decided not to sell the electric companies. But he promised to continue privatization efforts. This was a key part of a deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Toledo had promised tax cuts. But protests by civil servants led to increased social spending. This meant tax increases were needed. In June 2003, he brought in Peru's first female prime minister, Beatriz Merino. She quickly proposed tax reforms. These included pay cuts for high-paid government officials, including a 30% cut for Toledo himself. There were also tax increases on beer, cigarettes, and fuel.

During Toledo's five years as president, Peru's economy grew for 47 months in a row. It grew at an average of 6% per year. Inflation was low, and the government's debt decreased. Between 2004 and 2006, jobs grew by 6% each year. The number of people living in poverty fell. Food consumption by the poorest people increased a lot. Much of this growth was due to free trade agreements with the United States, China, and other countries.

Post-Presidency (2006–Present)

Toledo could not run for re-election in 2006. After his presidency, he went to the United States. He worked at Stanford University as a scholar. He also founded the Global Center for Development and Democracy. This center aims to help Peru and other Latin American countries build stronger democracies.

In 2007, Toledo wrote an article in The New York Times. He spoke out against the closing of a media outlet in Venezuela. He said it was a violation of free speech. He called for other countries to show "continent-wide solidarity." He warned that if one country silenced its press, it could encourage others to do the same.

In 2009, Toledo joined the Brookings Institution. He worked on their Latin America Initiative. This effort focuses on important economic, political, and social issues in the region.

Toledo is also a member of the United Nations committee on human development for Latin America. He is also part of the Club of Madrid and the International Board of Governors of the Peres Center for Peace in Israel.

Friends of Israel Initiative

In 2010, Toledo joined the Friends of Israel Initiative. This group aims to support the State of Israel. It consists of non-Jewish members who believe Israel should be accepted as part of the Western world. They also recognize Israel's right to defend itself.

In a 2011 article, Toledo and others argued that a Palestinian state should not be created without a bilateral agreement. They said that Palestine did not meet the requirements to become a state on its own. They believed that only a mutual agreement between Palestinians and Israelis, recognizing each other, could lead to peace.

2011 Election

In December 2010, Toledo announced he would run in the 2011 Peruvian general election. He said that the current president was governing for the rich, not the poor. He claimed that the cost of living had increased.

The election took place on April 10, 2011. Toledo won 15.64% of the vote. He placed fourth. After the first round, Toledo supported Ollanta Humala. He called Humala the "lesser of two evils."

However, Toledo's support came with conditions. He threatened protests if Humala's presidency did not protect democracy and human rights. Humala won the election with 51.6% of the vote.

After Humala's election, Toledo's party, Peru Posible, announced that its members would not accept ministerial positions. They would only support Humala's government on some issues in Congress.

Lawsuit over Corruption Allegations

In April 2016, Toledo was called to court. He faced accusations of taking money to buy properties. He was accused of taking bribes from Brazilian companies Camargo Corrêa and Odebrecht. These bribes were supposedly for building the Interoceanic Highway. The money was then used to pay off mortgages and buy luxury real estate.

In 2016, Odebrecht admitted to paying about $800 million in bribes in several Latin American countries. This included $29 million in Peru between 2001 and 2006. On February 9, 2017, a Peruvian judge ordered Toledo's arrest. A reward was offered for his capture, and Interpol was alerted.

Toledo was arrested in the U.S. in July 2019. He was released on bail in 2020. On April 23, 2023, Toledo was sent back to Peru. He surrendered to U.S. authorities and was transferred to Peruvian police.

On October 21, 2024, Toledo was sentenced to 20 years in prison. This was for taking bribes as part of the Odebrecht case.

Relationship with the Press

From the start of Toledo's presidency, the press was very active. They closely examined Toledo's personal and public life. Many news outlets wanted to expose corruption. Others wanted to show they were independent from the government. Toledo's commitment to a free press allowed these criticisms to happen.

Accusations of corruption and favoritism against Toledo and his team were common. These stories led to many resignations. They were the main reason for Toledo's low approval ratings. His ratings were lowest in 2004, after his Minister of Agriculture resigned.

Awards and Honors

On May 7, 2005, Toledo received the Order of the Athir from Algeria.

In 2006, the Institute of the Americas honored President Toledo. He received an award for Democracy and Peace. This was for his work in promoting economic growth and strengthening democracy.

Toledo has received honorary doctorates from many universities around the world. He has given lectures in over thirty countries. He speaks on topics like poverty, economic growth, and democracy.

July 28, 2011, was the tenth anniversary of Toledo's inauguration. This event was noted in the Associated Press's "Highlights in History."

In October 2011, Tbilisi State University gave Toledo an honorary doctorate. This was for his role in building relations between Peru and Georgia.

Even with negative press, many critics recognized Toledo's focus on democratic processes. Enrique Zileri, President of the Peruvian Press Council, said in May 2003 that there were no problems with press freedom in Peru.

Toledo received the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles from Monaco in 2003.

Electoral History

Images for kids

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  President Toledo with Lima mayor Luis Castañeda Lossio

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  Toledo in Valparaíso, Chile

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  Toledo and Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

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  Toledo speaks in Davos, January 21, 2003.

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  The signing of the convention for metro extension

See Also

• Politics of Peru