Beatriz Merino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beatriz Merino OSP
Merino in 2011
President of César Vallejo University
Incumbent
Assumed office February 8, 2016
Preceded by	Office created
2nd Public Defender of Peru
In office September 29, 2005 – March 30, 2011
Preceded by	Walter Albán (Acting)
Succeeded by	Eduardo Vega (Acting)
Prime Minister of Peru
In office June 23, 2003 – December 15, 2003
President	Alejandro Toledo
Preceded by	Luis Solari De La Fuente
Succeeded by	Carlos Ferrero
Member of Congress
In office July 26, 1995 – July 26, 2000
Constituency	National
Member of the Senate
In office July 26, 1990 – April 5, 1992
Constituency	National
Personal details
Born	Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero (1947-11-15) November 15, 1947 (age 77) Lima, Peru
Nationality	Peruvian
Political party	Independent (1992–present)
Other political affiliations	Liberty Movement (1989–1992)
Alma mater	National University of San Marcos (LLB) London School of Economics (LLM) Harvard University (LLM)

Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero (born November 15, 1947) is a Peruvian lawyer, teacher, and politician. She made history in 2003 as the first female Prime Minister of Peru. Before that, she served as a Senator and Congresswoman from 1990 to 2000.

After being Prime Minister, the Peruvian Congress chose her to be the national Public Defender of Peru. She held this important role from 2005 to 2011. This job is like being a special helper for citizens, making sure their rights are protected.

Beatriz Merino is a very important woman leader in Peru. She is also part of the Council of Women World Leaders. This is a group of women who are or have been presidents and prime ministers around the world. They work together to help women and promote fair development everywhere.

Early Life and Education

Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero was born in Lima, Peru, on November 15, 1947. Her father, Augusto Merino Abrego, was a respected public servant. He worked as a Treasurer and Finance Director for the San Isidro municipality. Beatriz has often said her father greatly influenced her career choices. Her mother was Aída Lucero.

After finishing high school, Beatriz went to the National University of San Marcos. She earned a law degree in 1970. Then, she received a scholarship to study at the London School of Economics. There, she earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in tax law in 1972.

Later, she moved to the United States and studied at Harvard University. She received another Master of Laws degree with a special scholarship. In 1977, she became the first Peruvian woman to graduate from Harvard Law School.

Career

After graduating from Harvard, Beatriz Merino worked at Procter & Gamble. She held various important roles, including Legal and Corporate Manager. She worked in Lima, Caracas, and Cincinnati. She was also a director for Procter & Gamble in several South American countries from 1979 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1994.

In 1989, a famous writer, Mario Vargas Llosa, asked her to run for the Peruvian Senate. She was elected in 1990 as part of a group called the Democratic Front.

As a Senator, she led committees focused on the environment and women's rights. Her time as Senator ended suddenly in 1992 when the president dissolved Congress. She returned to Congress in 1995 as an independent. There, she worked hard to oppose the government and helped create many new laws.

In 1993, Merino started her own law firm, Merino & Reaño. She worked on laws related to business, work, and the environment. She was a senior partner there until 2001.

Before the 2000 election, the mayor of Lima, Alberto Andrade, asked her to run as his running mate for Vice President. She was part of the We Are Peru party. Even though they started strong, they did not win the election.

After the government changed in 2000, Merino was chosen to be the Superintendent of the Peruvian Internal Revenue Service. She held this job from 2001 to 2003. During this time, she also directed a special master's degree program in taxation at the University of Lima.

Prime Minister of Peru (2003)

On June 23, 2003, Beatriz Merino became the President of the Council of Ministers. This is the official title for the Prime Minister of Peru. She was appointed by President Alejandro Toledo. This was a huge moment because she was the first woman in Peru's history to hold such a high political position.

During her time as Prime Minister, she helped pass a successful tax reform law. She also started a plan to modernize the Peruvian government. In July 2003, she spoke to Congress to explain the government's plans and ask for their support. She talked about improving the economy and creating jobs. Congress supported her with many votes.

Her leadership helped improve the public's opinion of the government. However, she resigned on December 15, 2003. She explained that she and President Toledo had different ideas about how to manage policies. She was replaced by Carlos Ferrero.

Public Defender (2005–2011)

After leaving the Prime Minister's office, Beatriz Merino remained very popular. On September 29, 2005, Congress elected her as the second Public Defender of Peru. This role is very important because the Public Defender protects the rights of citizens and makes sure the government acts fairly.

During her time as Public Defender, she achieved many important things:

• She helped release farmers who were wrongly accused of serious crimes.
• She pushed for the creation of the Ministry of the Environment in 2008.
• She recommended changes to the pension system to help people get their retirement money.
• She helped a woman named Vilma Palma win a case against discrimination, which was a first in Peru.
• She also helped create a law for prior consultation, which means asking people before making decisions that affect them.

Overall, she is known for helping to bring peace and restore rights to many people in Peru, especially those who were most vulnerable.

Later Career (2011–Present)

Beatriz Merino (right) at a Harvard Club of Peru meeting in December 2011.

Beatriz Merino's term as Public Defender ended in 2010, but she stayed in office until March 30, 2011. After that, she became the Chairwoman of the Public Pension's Administrators Association. She worked to help people understand and improve their private pension benefits.

In November 2011, she became a director at CENTRUM, a well-known business school of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. She worked there until November 2015. At the same time, she was also the Chairwoman of the National Hydrocarbons Society from 2013 to 2015.

Currently, she is part of a special leadership program at Harvard University. Since February 8, 2016, she has been the executive president of the César Vallejo University. Under her leadership, the university started using a special program called Turnitin to check for plagiarism in student work.

Awards and Recognitions

Beatriz Merino has received many awards for her important work:

• Doctor Honoris Causa from several universities, including Federico Villarreal National University (2003) and National University of Saint Augustine (2007).
• The Order of the Southern Cross in the Degree of Grand Cross from Federative Republic of Brazil (2003).
• The Order of Merit in the Degree of Grand Cross from the National Police of Peru (2003).
• The "María Elena Moyano" Award from the Ministry of Women and Social Development (2003).
• The Order of the Sun of Peru in the Degree of the Grand Cross (2006).
• The Flora Tristán Medal from the National University of San Marcos (2009).
• The Order of the Merit of Women from the Ministry of Women and Social Development (2010).
• A Lifetime Achievement Award from Harvard University (2015).
• The Trailblazer Award from Women Political Leaders (2019).

Electoral History

Executive

Legislative

See also

In Spanish: Beatriz Merino para niños