Francisco Morales Bermúdez

Infobox Officeholder
name = Francisco Morales Bermúdez

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nationality = Peruvian
order = 2nd President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces
term_start = August 29 1975
term_end = July 28 1980
predecessor = Juan Velasco
successor = Fernando Belaúnde
birth_date = 1921
birth_place = Lima, Peru
dead = alive
profession = Army General
vicepresident =

Francisco Morales Bermúdez Cerruti (born 1921) was a centrist Peruvian general who came to power in Peru in 1975 after deposing his predecessor, General Juan Velasco. [ [http://www.electionworld.org/history/peru.htm A short history of Peru] ] [ [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35762.htm U.S. Department of State - Background Note: Peru] ] His grandfather and all his original family were from the old Peruvian department of Tarapacá, now in Chile. Unable to control the political and economic troubles that the nation faced, he was forced to return power to civilian rule, marking the end of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces, installed by a coup d'etat on October 3, 1968.

Early years

Born in Lima in 1921, he was the son of Army Colonel Remigio Morales Bermúdez and grandson of ex-President Remigio Morales Bermúdez. He received most of his education at Lima's "Colegio Inmaculada". In 1939, he was accepted to the "Escuela Militar de Chorrillos" (Chorrillos Military School). After his graduation, he was an important member of the "Centro de Altos Estudios Militares" (CAEM).

Political career

He achieved the rank of Brigadier General and was appointed to his first political post in 1968 as minister of finance in the administration of Fernando Belaúnde. Internal problems in government forced him to resign after two months.

In 1968, after Belaúnde had been deposed by a coup, the military government led by Velasco asked him to return to the post of Minister of Finance. In 1974, he resigned again, this time because he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Peruvian Army. In 1975, he was appointed to be both Prime Minister and Minister of War.

With Velasco's health deteriorating, Morales Bermúdez led a military junta against General Velasco and took over as President of Peru in August 29, 1975, leading the country through one of its most severe economic crises. He diverged from the socialist-leaning tendencies of first phase (1968-1975) of the Peruvian Revolution, proclaiming a 'Second Phase' that would lead to a return to democracy.

Legacy

The failure of his political and economic reforms was a severe blow to his administration, hampered by constant political pressure from all sides. A Constitutional Assembly was created in 1978, which replaced the 1933 Constitution enacted during Oscar R. Benavides's presidency; he also called for national elections the next year.

After the 1980 National Elections he turned power over to a legally established government, headed by President Fernando Belaúnde.

After his presidency, he kept a relatively low profile in Peruvian politics, making sporadic speeches regarding the situation of the army.

In 1985, he made an unsuccessful run for the presidency, obtaining a fraction of one percent of the vote.

Morales Bermudez is currently being prosecuted by Italian judge Luisianna Figliolia for the presumed forced disappearance of 25 Italian citizens in the frame of Operation Condor, a campaign of political oppression against leftists orchestrated by the right-wing dictatorships of South America in the 1970s. [ [http://www.rpp.com.pe/portada/nacional/108984_1.php General Morales Bermúdez sorprendido de su inclusión en juicio italiano] ]

References