Valentín Paniagua facts for kids

Valentín Demetrio Paniagua Corazao (born September 23, 1936 – died October 16, 2006) was a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He served as the President of Peru for a short time, from 2000 to 2001.

Paniagua became the President of Congress on November 16, 2000. He then became president of the country because the previous president, Alberto Fujimori, and both his vice presidents resigned. His main job as president was to organize new elections. Paniagua was a long-time member of the Popular Action political party.

Early Life and Education

Valentín Paniagua was born in Cusco, Peru. His father was born in Bolivia but lived most of his life in Peru. Valentín went to high school at the Salesian School of Cusco.

He studied law at the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad in Cusco. Later, he moved to the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos in Lima to finish his law degree. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer in his own practice. He also earned a master's degree in political science from the University of Indiana.

In 1955, as a student leader, he helped start a group called Frente Universitario Reformista Independiente. This group supported social-Christian reforms. Paniagua joined the Christian Democrat Party (PDC) because it matched his beliefs.

Political Career

In June 1963, Paniagua was elected to Congress to represent Cusco. He was part of a group that helped Fernando Belaúnde, the leader of Acción Popular (AP), become president. Even though Paniagua was young, President Belaúnde made him the Minister of Justice and Cult.

In 1966, some members of the PDC left to form a new party. However, Paniagua stayed with the government.

In 1968, General Juan Velasco Alvarado took over the government in a military coup. This meant Paniagua was out of Congress and politics for a few years. He was loyal to President Belaúnde and left the PDC in 1974 to protest their support for the military government. Later, he joined the AP party and continued to protest against the military leaders.

In 1980, he was re-elected to Congress. His party leader, Belaúnde, became president for a second time.

In July 1982, Paniagua became the President of the Chamber of Deputies. This is a very important role in Congress.

In May 1985, he became the Minister of Education. He resigned later that year to return to his work in Congress. He received a high honor called the Orden del Sol.

When the AP party lost the 1985 elections, Paniagua became part of the opposition. He worked as a respected lawyer and taught constitutional law at several universities.

In the 1990 elections, Paniagua supported Mario Vargas Llosa for president. When Alberto Fujimori became president, Paniagua was in the opposition. He strongly opposed Fujimori after the auto-coup in April 1992.

Becoming President of Peru

In the year 2000, Fujimori was re-elected president in elections that caused a lot of debate. Paniagua was a leading voice in the opposition.

In September 2000, it was revealed that Fujimori's security chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, had bribed a congressman. This caused Fujimori to lose a lot of support. He announced he would step down after new elections in 2001.

Fujimori's allies lost control of Congress. On November 15, 2000, Congress removed the acting President of Congress, who supported Fujimori. After discussions, Paniagua was chosen as the new President of the Peruvian Congress. He was picked because everyone saw him as fair and strong, which was needed during this difficult time.

A few days later, Fujimori resigned. However, Congress voted to reject his resignation and remove him from office. According to the rules, the First Vice President should have taken over, but he had also resigned. The Second Vice President then claimed the presidency. But Congress refused to accept him because he was still loyal to Fujimori. When it was clear Congress would not let him be president, he resigned too.

Because the President of Congress is third in line to become president, Valentín Paniagua became the acting president of Peru.

Leading Peru as Interim President

Paniagua formed a "Unity and National Reconciliation Government." This government had the support of almost all political parties. He created a cabinet (a group of advisors) that included experts and politicians from different backgrounds. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, a former UN Secretary General, became Prime Minister. Paniagua also removed military leaders who were involved with Montesinos.

Paniagua had to work with Fujimori's party in Congress, even though they no longer had a majority. During his time as president, many videos showing corruption were released and investigated. These videos showed politicians, religious leaders, and important business people involved in illegal activities.

Paniagua also changed some anti-terrorism laws that Fujimori had put in place. These changes allowed people accused of terrorism to be tried in civilian courts instead of military ones. He also created a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the internal conflict in Peru.

After the Presidency

When his time as president ended, Paniagua handed over power to the newly elected president, Alejandro Toledo. In the same year, Paniagua became the leader of the Acción Popular party, taking over from Fernando Belaúnde.

For a short time, people thought he might run to be the leader of the Organization of American States (OAS). But he decided not to, so he could run for president of Peru in the 2006 elections. He ran as the candidate for the Frente de Centro party but did not win. He came in fifth place.

He also became a member of the Club of Madrid [1].

Later Years and Passing

On August 21, 2006, Valentín Paniagua became very ill and was hospitalized with a breathing infection. A congressman mistakenly announced that he had died, and Congress held a moment of silence. However, he was still alive and his health had actually improved. But in early October 2006, doctors announced that his condition had not gotten much better.

Valentín Paniagua passed away on October 16, 2006, in a hospital in Lima. He was 70 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Valentín Paniagua para niños