Martín Vizcarra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martín Vizcarra
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Vizcarra in 2018
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| 60th President of Peru | |
| In office 23 March 2018 – 9 November 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Mercedes Aráoz César Villanueva Salvador del Solar Vicente Zeballos Pedro Cateriano Walter Martos |
| Vice President | First Vice President Vacant Second Vice President Mercedes Aráoz (2018 – May 2020) Vacant (May – November 2020) |
| Preceded by | Pedro Pablo Kuczynski |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Merino |
| President pro tempore of the Pacific Alliance | |
| In office 24 July 2018 – 6 July 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Manuel Santos |
| Succeeded by | Sebastián Piñera |
| First Vice President of Peru | |
| In office 28 July 2016 – 23 March 2018 |
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| President | Pedro Pablo Kuczynski |
| Preceded by | Marisol Espinoza |
| Succeeded by | Dina Boluarte (2021) |
| Ambassador of Peru to Canada | |
| In office 18 October 2017 – 23 March 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Marcela López Bravo |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Gil de Montes Molinari |
| Minister of Transport and Communications | |
| In office 28 July 2016 – 22 May 2017 |
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| President | Pedro Pablo Kuczynski |
| Prime Minister | Fernando Zavala |
| Preceded by | José Gallardo Ku |
| Succeeded by | Bruno Giuffra |
| 3rd Governor of Moquegua | |
| In office 1 January 2011 – 31 December 2014 |
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| Lieutenant | Tomás Portilla Alarcón |
| Preceded by | Jaime Rodríguez Villanueva |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Rodríguez Villanueva |
| Member of Congress | |
| In office Never sworn-in |
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| Succeeded by | José Enrique Jeri Ore |
| Constituency | Lima |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo
22 March 1963 Lima, Peru |
| Political party | Peru First (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse | Maribel Díaz Cabello |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | National University of Engineering (B.S.) |
| Signature |  |
Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo (born 22 March 1963) is a Peruvian engineer and politician. He served as the President of Peru from 2018 to 2020. Before becoming president, Vizcarra was the Governor of the Department of Moquegua (2011–2014). He also served as the First Vice President of Peru (2016–2018). During the presidency of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Vizcarra was also the Minister of Transport and Communications (2016–2017) and Ambassador of Peru to Canada (2017–2018).
In the 2016 Peruvian general election, Vizcarra ran as the running mate for Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. They won the election, and Vizcarra became the First Vice President. On 23 March 2018, he became President of Peru after President Kuczynski resigned. During his time as president, Vizcarra focused on fighting corruption. He promised not to run for president again when his term ended in 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, Vizcarra put in place rules for people to stay home and provided money to help. However, Peru was still greatly affected by the pandemic. The country's economy also saw a big drop. In September 2020, the Peruvian Congress tried to remove Vizcarra from office, but they did not get enough votes.
On 9 November 2020, the Congress successfully removed Vizcarra from office. They said he was "morally incompetent." The head of Congress, Manuel Merino, became the new president. Many Peruvians protested Vizcarra's removal, believing it was not fair. President Merino resigned after only six days in office because of these protests.
On 16 April 2021, Vizcarra was banned from holding public office for 10 years. This happened after he was accused of getting a COVID-19 vaccine before it was available to the public.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Political Journey
- Presidency (2018–2020)
- After the Presidency (2020–present)
- Public Opinion
- Political Beliefs
- Honours and Awards
- Electoral History
- See also
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Peru
Martín Vizcarra was born in Lima, Peru. His father, César Vizcarra Vargas, was a politician and mayor of Moquegua. His mother, Doris Cornejo, was an elementary school teacher. Vizcarra's family lived in Moquegua, but they moved to Lima when he was born due to a health issue. Vizcarra has said that his father had a big influence on his life.
School and University
Vizcarra went to school in Moquegua. For his university studies, he graduated from the National University of Engineering in Lima in 1984. He also earned a degree in Management Administration from ESAN Graduate School of Business.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Vizcarra's political journey began in his home region of Moquegua. In 2006, he ran for governor but did not win. In 2008, he led protests called "Moqueguazo." These protests were about unfair payments related to mining in the community. Vizcarra went to Lima to help solve the problem. He explained the issue to the government, and they agreed to make changes. This event encouraged Vizcarra to continue in politics.
Serving as Governor
In 2010, Vizcarra was elected Governor of Moquegua. He served from 2011 to 2014. During his time as governor, life for people in Moquegua improved. He also managed to avoid corruption issues, which was rare in Peru. He helped solve another conflict between a mining company and local residents. This conflict was about concerns that a copper mine might pollute drinking water.
Becoming Vice President
Vizcarra was elected First Vice President of Peru in the 2016 Peruvian general election. He ran alongside Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Soon after being elected, he also became the Minister of Transportation and Communications.
Minister of Transportation (2016–2017)
As Minister of Transportation and Communications, Vizcarra served for about one year. He was in charge of managing the crisis during a series of floods that hit Peru in late 2016 and early 2017.
There were problems with the building of the Chinchero International Airport in Cusco, including claims of bribery. Vizcarra stopped many contracts until an investigation was finished. After facing complaints and giving many hours of testimony about the project, he resigned from his position as minister. Even though his time as minister had challenges, many people thought he did a good job.
Ambassador to Canada (2017–2018)
After leaving his minister role, Vizcarra became the Peruvian Ambassador to Canada. He stayed out of public attention until he returned to Peru during the first attempt to remove President Kuczynski from office. He went back to Canada shortly after.
Presidency (2018–2020)
Taking Office as President
After President Kuczynski resigned, Vizcarra returned to Peru and became president on 23 March 2018. When he took office, Vizcarra promised to fight against corruption in Peru.
A famous Peruvian writer, Mario Vargas Llosa, said that Vizcarra had "pretty good" qualities. He also noted that if Vizcarra became very popular, other politicians might try to make things difficult for him.
Protecting the Environment
On 17 April 2018, President Vizcarra signed a new law called the Law for Climate Change. This law provided more money for the Ministry of the Environment to watch and fight climate change. It also helped different government groups work together on climate issues.
Peru became the first country in South America to have such a climate law. Vizcarra said that climate change could not be ignored. He stated that the government had a duty to work together for a better environment for future Peruvians.
Fighting Corruption
Changes to the Constitution
After many corruption problems in the Peruvian government, President Vizcarra called for a nationwide vote on 28 July 2018. This vote, called a referendum, aimed to stop private money from funding political campaigns. It also sought to prevent lawmakers from being re-elected and to create a second law-making group.
Many people praised Vizcarra's strong actions against corruption. They saw it as a chance to make the government more honest. On 9 December 2018, Peruvians voted and approved most of Vizcarra's ideas in the referendum.
Dissolving Congress
In Peru, the president can dissolve Congress if they vote "no confidence" in the government twice. Congress had already voted "no confidence" once before Vizcarra became president. Vizcarra wanted Congress to work with him on fighting corruption. For four months, Congress delayed his plans and postponed elections he suggested.
On 30 September 2019, Vizcarra dissolved Congress. He said that Congress was not cooperating with his anti-corruption efforts. He argued that this was the second time Congress showed "no confidence" in his government. After Vizcarra announced this, Congress tried to remove him from office and named the vice president as the new president. However, government officials said Congress's actions were not valid because it was already closed. Many Peruvians protested against Congress, and the military leaders supported Vizcarra as president.
New Elections for Congress
In January 2020, Peru's highest court supported Vizcarra's decision to dissolve Congress. On 26 January 2020, new elections were held for Congress. The new Congress had many different parties, and some were still against Vizcarra.
Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic
During Vizcarra's time as president, Peru faced a severe COVID-19 pandemic. Peru had one of the highest numbers of cases in Latin America. Experts said that existing problems like crowded homes and many informal jobs made the outbreak worse. Many Peruvians had to go out daily to buy food because few homes had refrigerators.
Vizcarra's government put a nationwide lockdown in place from 15 March 2020. Most businesses closed. Peru's economy dropped significantly, and many small businesses went bankrupt. The government approved a large amount of money to help the economy.
Attempts to Remove the President
First Impeachment Attempt (September 2020)
As Peru's economy struggled, Vizcarra faced more pressure from Congress. In September 2020, audio recordings were released. These recordings suggested that Vizcarra had acted improperly regarding a contract for a singer.
Congress quickly started a process to remove Vizcarra from office. Vizcarra said he would not resign. He stated that the audios were "edited and maliciously manipulated." On 11 September 2020, Congress voted to start the impeachment process. However, on 18 September, after a long debate, Congress did not get enough votes to remove him.
Second Impeachment and Removal (November 2020)
In a separate attempt, lawmakers accused Vizcarra of corruption and poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. They claimed he accepted bribes for public projects when he was governor of Moquegua. On 9 November 2020, 105 members of Congress voted to remove Vizcarra from office. This was more than the 87 votes needed. Vizcarra said the accusations were false but accepted the vote.
Many people saw Vizcarra's removal as a "coup." Thousands of citizens protested against it. Manuel Merino, who became president after Vizcarra, resigned after only six days because of the protests. Francisco Sagasti then became the new President of Peru on 17 November.
After the Presidency (2020–present)
Running for Congress
On 27 November 2020, Vizcarra announced he would run for a seat in Congress in the 2021 Peruvian congressional election. He joined the We Are Peru party. If elected, he would gain protection from some ongoing investigations. Vizcarra stated that he wanted to reform the idea of parliamentary protection.
Vizcarra won the congressional election. However, he was later banned from holding public office.
The Vacunagate Controversy
In February 2021, a scandal called "Vacunagate" became public. It was revealed that in October 2020, Vizcarra, his family, and friends received the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine before it was available to the public. This caused a lot of controversy because at the time, Vizcarra's government had said there were no vaccine deals yet. On 16 April 2021, the Congress of Peru voted to ban Vizcarra from public office for ten years. He was found responsible for using his position unfairly and making false statements.
Legal Investigations
In March 2021, a prosecutor asked for Vizcarra to be held in custody for 18 months as part of an investigation into alleged corruption. However, a judge rejected this request. On 18 March 2024, Peruvian authorities searched Vizcarra's home as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption related to road construction projects during his time as governor.
Public Opinion
Approval Ratings as President
When Vizcarra first became president, some Peruvians protested. However, polls showed that he had a good approval rating. In April 2018, about 57% of people approved of him. After he called for a vote on constitutional changes, his approval rating reached a high of 66% in December 2018.
In 2019, his approval rating dropped slightly. But after he dissolved Congress in September 2019, his popularity jumped significantly. Polls showed his approval rating went up to 75% or even 85.1%. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Vizcarra's approval ratings spiked to 87%.
Views on His Removal
In November 2020, after Vizcarra was removed from office, a poll showed that 88% of Peruvians disapproved of his removal. Only 11% approved. In contrast, the Congress of Peru had a 60% disapproval rating before his removal. When Manuel Merino became president after Vizcarra, 94% of Peruvians disapproved of Merino's presidency.
Political Beliefs
Vizcarra is seen as a centrist politician. He has said that his father's guidance made him care about social issues. People often describe him as someone who can bring different sides together and solve difficult problems. Left-wing political groups praised his efforts to fight corruption, his decision to dissolve Congress, and his push for new elections.
Honours and Awards
Vizcarra has received several honours during his career:
- Grand Master of the Order of the Sun of Peru (Peru)
- Grand Master of the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service (Peru)
- Grand Collar of the National Order of Merit (Ecuador)
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
- Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain)
- Keys to the City of Madrid (Spain)
Electoral History
Vizcarra has participated in several elections:
- In 2006, he ran for Governor of Moquegua and came in 2nd place.
- In 2010, he ran again for Governor of Moquegua and won.
- In 2016, he ran for First Vice President of Peru and won.
- In 2021, he ran for Congressman from Lima and won, though he was later banned from public office.
See also
In Spanish: Martín Vizcarra para niños
