PICSim 2016

The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
PICSim
2016
Peruvian Democratic Movement
Chair: SuMin Park
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
Introduction
Our cluster, the Ochenio of 19481956, will explore the interplay between
Manuel Odría
Manuel Arturo Odría Amoretti was
different political and social groups in Peru
born in Lima in 1896 in a relatively well-
under the rule of the President Manuel
connected Peruvian family (though not
Odría. Our committee, the Movimiento
nearly as established as many of the
Democratico Peruano (MDP), is comprised
members of the Prado and Bustamante y
primarily of politicians, lawyers,
Rivero regimes. He spent his formative
businessmen, diplomats, and media
years studying in the city of Tarma, and
moguls—all decidedly right-wing—from the
after graduation joined the Escuela Militar
upper echelons of Peruvian society.
de Chorrillos, Peru’s military academy. He
Throughout the conference, we will interact
excelled there, graduating first in his class,
with the ruling regime, in the form of
and after further degrees in War Studies and
Manuel Odría’s cabinet, and with the
Mathematics he returned to the military
APRA, a left-wing party with socialist that
academy to teach.
is sometimes in favor and sometimes
He rose to fame as a result of the
suppressed under the Peruvian political
Peruvian-Ecuatorian War of 1941, during
system.
which he was praised for his actions in the
Battle of Zarumilla that helped repel a key
Understanding the Ochenio:
Odría is in many ways the classic
Latin American dictator—he rose to power
in a military coup, is serially corrupt, and is
Ecuatorian attack. After the war, he became
the Director-General of Peru’s Escuela
Superior de Guerra (School of War).
It can be argued that Odría’s origins
highly authoritarian. To understand properly
in the Peruvian elite and his time spent in
the interplay of factors that led to his ascent
the military contributed to his strong right-
to power and the characteristics of his
wing, anti-communist political beliefs. Odría
regime, this guide will consider two factors:
was a strong “antiaprista” (opponent of the
his personal background and the political
APRA, the country’s main left-wing
context of his time.
political party). These convictions would
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
emerge later in the form of his policies as
enjoyed popular support, which they
Minister of Government and Police under
obtained by portraying Bustamante as being
President Jose Bustamante y Rivero and as
sympathetic with the socialists.
later as President of Peru.
Bustamante y Rivero and the Coup
In 1945, José Luis Bustamante y
The Ochenio
For those who are familiar, the
Rivero became president of Peru. He was
Ochenio bears a remarkable resemblance to
initially supported by the socialist Alianza
Peronism in Argentina: a general rises to
Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA);
power as part of a coup, but through a
however, after much feuding between the
combination of populism and
two, the APRA began adopting guerrilla
authoritarianism grows to be loved by the
tactics and Bustamante severely limited their
masses and feared by the elite. In the
power. In 1947, the APRA assassinated
Peruvian case, Odría initially ran the country
Francisco Graña Garland, the president of
as the leader of a military junta. To establish
the board of the rightist newspaper La
his own legitimacy as a ruler, he called for
Prensa. As a result, Bustamante dissolved
elections in 1950 (which he was naturally
his cabinet and brought in an entirely new
favored to win). He running unopposed after
one consisting primarily of highly anti-
he banned the opposing candidate, Ernesto
APRA military figures, and in this wave
Montagne Markholz, and so from 1950-
Odría was brought in as Minister of
1956 Peru was governed as a de jure
Government and Police.
republic with Odría as its president.
In early 1948, Odría and the other
military figures in Bustamante’s cabinet
wanted him to ban the APRA and prevent
Accomplishments
It must be noted that, due to Odría’s
the party from ever taking part in Peruvian
brand of populism, he was widely loved by
politics. Bustamante refused to do this, and
the Peruvian masses. The president
as a result Odría and the rest of the military
supported significant investment in public
officials resigned from his cabinet. The
works, especially in the construction of
stage was set, and later that year the military
schools; the government’s stated goal was
carried out a coup and installed a ruling
for all Peruvian children to receive an
junta lead by Odría. Remarkably, they even
education. His regime also focused on the
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
promotion of public health goals, building
stability and security were deployed
hospitals and clinics, and of support for the
disproportionately against the leftist
unemployed—social safety nets were
opposition.
established and strengthened under Odría.
The most notable of these was the
As such, the Peruvian masses (though not
Domestic Security Law (Ley de Seguridad
the elite) had many reasons to support Odría.
Interior). The legislation was championed by
Previous presidents (like those of Prado and
Odría’s trusted advisor Alejandro Esparza
Bustamante y Rivero) had always come
Zañartu, who used the law to imprison the
from the Peru’s de-facto aristocracy. Odría
vast majority of the APRA’s leaders. In
was, in some ways, a remarkable change—
general, the law authorized the censure of
he was a president who derived his support
press and radio, imprisonment without trial,
from the people, in part because of the
torture, and deportation, all in the name of
manner in which he had feuded with and
national security.
brushed aside the rest of the elite.
This law is one of the key reasons for
resistance to Odría’s rule; despite initial
Political Repression and the Domestic
economic prosperity, many felt that their
Security Law
fundamental political liberties were at stake.
While part of Odría’s success
This is one of the key causes of the rise of
originated from the support of the Peruvian
the Movimiento Democratico Peruano, the
poor and middle class, he only held on to
committee that we will simulate. The
power for so long by efficiently identifying
members of the committee, many of whom
and quelling any resistance from the
come from the elite, were relatively free of
opposition. This opposition came both from
economic concerns; at the same time, they
the right (in the form of the many of the
were disproportionately targeted by Odría’s
members of our committee, the Movimiento
regime in the name of security. The same
Democratico Peruano) and from the left (in
applies to the APRA committee, whose
the form of the APRA). Because the APRA
members are reeling from constant
was a large political party with grassroots
supervision from the Odría government.
support, suppressing it required greater
While these interests were essentially
effort on the part of the regime, and so many
opposed to Odría from the start, we should
of the laws enacted in the name of national
also take into account that many people
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
from the Peruvian lower and middle classes
Democratico Peruano (MDP) plays a special
joined them in opposition to Odría as time
role in this process, as many of its members
went on. This was caused in part by
are experienced leaders in politics, business
economic concerns including rising
and the media who have the power to
unemployment and inflation in the mid-
directly and indirectly influence the outcome
1950s. By 1955, levels of discontent had
of the electoral process. In addition, it is
increased significantly, enabling members of
likely that many of the candidates for
different socioeconomic classes to unite in
president will originate within the MDP.
their opposition to Odría. The 1955
Odría is not running (though it is feasible
Arequipa Revolution, in which seasoned
that someone from his cabinet might), and at
politicians and masses of workers came
the start of committee, the left-wing Alianza
together to campaign for the end of the
Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA)
Ochenio, is an excellent example of this
is banned from electoral process. Delegates
cooperation, and of the kind of conflicts that
certainly have the flexibility to change
may emerge in committee.
this—you are under no obligation to follow
the true course of history, and in fact are
Committee context:
Our committee takes place starting
encouraged to deviate from it. However, it is
still true that much of MDP delegates’
around the last year of Manuel Odría’s rule
interactions with the Odría Cabinet and
in Peru. As a result, delegates should be
APRA committee will be comprised of
especially conscious of the political climate
appeals for financial and political support. If
of 1955-1956. Odría has declared elections,
the MDP or any of its candidates is to form a
and different individuals are jostling to be
cohesive government, the backing of the
nominated as candidates for the presidency.
aforementioned groups will be crucial.
The newly founded Movimiento
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
Positions:
Manuel Prado Ugarteche
with many foreign powers, having served as
Prado was the president of Peru from 1939-
ambassador to Bolivia and Peru. His
1945 and is a de facto leader of the
relationship with the APRA is also
Movimiento Democratico Peruano (in
complicated; like Prado, he received their
English, the party is known as the Pradist
support during his campaign, but as
Democratic Movement in reference to him).
president he severely limited the party’s
As the son of former president Mariano
power in an effort to appease the largely
Ignacio Prado, he maintains powerful
conservative military. These efforts were
connections within the Peruvian political
ultimately unsuccessful, and so the military
establishment. He also yields economic
staged a coup that led to General Odría’s
influence, having served as the President of
ascension to the presidency.
the Central Reserve Bank of Peru in the
1930s. His relationship with the APRA is
Manuel Cisneros Sánchez
complicated; while the APRA backed his
Sánchez is a close ally of Prado and the
candidacy in 1939, he went on to outlaw the
original founder of the Movimiento
left-wing party while in office and oppress
Democratico Peruano. Trained as a lawyer,
many of its members. Prado has just
he developed connections in the financial
returned from a self-imposed exile of sorts
sector and in the oil and copper industries
in Paris, and many suspect he plans to
after representing several leading banks and
contest the upcoming elections.
companies in Peruvian court. He also is a
significant player in Peruvian media;
José Bustamante y Rivero
Sánchez previously served as the head of the
Bustamante is also a former president,
newspaper La Crónica and is currently
serving from 1945 to 1948. He is a widely
president of the board of the La Crónica
respected legal scholar and professor, and
Publishing Company. He also served as
maintains continued connections in Peru’s
Minister of Justice and Religion in Prado’s
universities. He also maintains connections
first cabinet.
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
actually supported Odría’s rise to power in
Pedro Beltrán Espantoso
reaction to APRA presence in the
Another member of the Peruvian political
Bustamante y Rivero government.
elite, Beltrán was educated at the London
School of Economics and served as
Hector Cornejo Chávez
president of the Central Reserve Bank of
Cornejo Chávez is the founder of the
Peru. Uniquely, he is very involved in the
Christian Democratic Party (Partido
Peruvian agricultural sector, and served as
Demócrata Cristiano, or PDC), which was
the president of the National Farming
formed in early 1956 by a group of
Society. He has close diplomatic contacts in
relatively young politicians whose views
the United States government, having served
were somewhat more left-wing than those of
as ambassador to the US under Prado.
the Pradist establishment. The center-left
Currently, he serves as the owner and de
party endorsed the political philosophy of
facto director of La Prensa, one of Peru’s
Christian socialism, which combined some
most influential newspapers. He is heavily
of the socialist viewpoints visible in the
anti-communist and anti-APRA, and is
heavily secular APRA with a commitment to
unwilling to accept even limited influence
Christian belief. As a result, Cornejo Chávez
from left-wing parties in government.
is more accepting of the APRA than many
MDP members, and furthermore maintains
Pedro Roselló
strong ties with the Catholic Church and its
Roselló is a strong critic of the Odría
religious and political representatives in
government. Along with Beltrán, he was one
Peru.
of the leaders of the Arequipa Revolution of
1955, which is widely viewed as a key
Luis Gallo Porras
motivator of Odría’s decision to eschew
Gallo Porras, another member of the
another term as president. He has strong ties
Peruvian political elite, served for many
with civil society, as he worked with local
years as the mayor of the city of Lima.
political groups and unions to organize the
During his time in office, he focused on the
1955 protests. Earlier, he also was a co-
modernization of city infrastructure. Gallo
founder of the Independent Civic
Porras was the president of the Club
Movement, a heavily anti-APRA group that
Nacional, the gathering place for the
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
aristocratic families of Lima, and as a result
companies and investment. He is a member
is friends with many leaders in Peruvian
of the elite Club de la Unión.
business and politics. He is also an aviation
enthusiast, serving as president of the
Carlos Moreyra y Paz Soldán
National Aviation League.
Moreyra served as Minister of Development
and Public Works during Prado’s
Javier Ortiz de Zevallos
presidency. His connections lie in the
Ortiz de Zevallos is a close confidant of
agricultural sector, as he is an agricultural
Prado and is a committed antiaprista (one
engineer by training and worked for many
who opposes the APRA). During
years as an exporter of foodstuffs. He is
Bustamante y Rivero’s presidency he co-
extremely wealthy, having inherited the
founded the Independent Civic Movement
fortune of the Count of San Isidro; in other
(Movimiento Cívico Independiente) to
words, he comes from an old, well-off
protest the incorporation of APRA
business family lineage. He maintains a
influences in government, and actually
strong friendship with Prado, and is
supported Odría’s rise to power. However,
anticipated to contest or receive some sort of
they soon clashed and Odría fled to Panama,
high office in the upcoming elections.
from where he has only recently returned to
help create the MDP. He is a founder of the
Hernando de Lavalle
newspaper Última Hora.
Lavalle, a prominent Lima lawyer, is also
considering running for president. Unlike
Victor Manuel Arévalo Delgado
many of the other members of the
Arévalo is a trained lawyer who served
Movimiento Democratico Peruano, he did
several terms as a Diputado (member of the
not serve in the Prado administration, and
lower house) and Senator in the Peruvian
therefore is theoretically able to dissociate
legislature, first serving in 1919 at age 24.
himself from the crackdown on the APRA
He maintains connections in the military,
that took place during the 1940s. Unlike
and is active on matters of foreign policy.
those figures, he (for now) supports the
Historically, he is particularly opposed to
eventual legalization of the APRA as a
economic policies that favor foreign
political party. He is considered to be in
Odría’s good graces (though, it must be
The Movimiento Democrático Peruano (MDP)
noted, the general is known for changing his
Christian Democratic Party (Partido
mind quickly).
Demócrata Cristiano), which advocates for
Javier de Belaúnde Ruiz de Somocurcio
both public education and for an overall
Belaúnde, a prominent lawyer and historian,
decentralization of government. He is highly
is a passionate advocate for democracy.
suspicious of authoritarian rule, having
From the beginning of Odría’s rule, he was
criticized at different times both Prado’s
one of its most outspoken critics,
democratic but tightly controlled
participating in the Arequipa Revolutions of
government and Odría’s dictatorship.
1950 and 1955. He is a co-founder of the