Ricardo Perez Godoy (1905-1982) was a military man who came to government power in Peru after giving a coup to Prado Ugarteche, when there were only 10 days left until the end of the presidential term of the then president.
The Ugarteche government had been directly affected by a social and economic crisis that hit all of Peru, which caused some discontent among civilian and military groups in the country..
Among the disgruntled soldiers was Pérez Godoy, who organized a movement together with his army colleagues to remove Ugarteche. Godoy came to the presidency of Peru as the leader of a military junta, which forced other state entities to be officially recognized in order to obtain legitimacy..
He had a short government, but he managed to enact several measures in favor of agriculture, among which the creation of the Law of Bases for Agrarian Reform stands out. It also established the National Culture Commission and other laws focused on the economic development of the country..
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Ricardo Pío Pérez Godoy was born in Lima, on May 9, 1905, in a relatively normal family, headed by his parents: Juan Miguel Pérez and Rosa Godoy. He had a regular childhood and a typical education of a Peruvian boy of the time, until he enrolled in the Military Academy of the Lima district known as Chorrillos, in 1924.
He managed to graduate from the academy with good recognition, having obtained the rank of lieutenant of cavalry. In addition, he graduated as the top student in his class. This opened the doors for him to work as a military professor at the Escuela Superior de Guerra..
In addition, thanks to his good performance as a student at the school, he was awarded a General Staff Diploma, a title awarded to students who have learned how to effectively manage the resources made available to them. This diploma also serves to recognize the capacity for military and strategic organization..
Godoy's success in the military academy catapulted the beginning of his career as an army officer, in which he rarely held a minor post..
His first role as an active military participant in Peru was the representation of his country in the embassy located in Bolivia, in which he worked as an attaché before returning to his country again. He went through several important positions before obtaining command of the Armed Forces (where, later, he commanded the coup against Ugarteche).
After returning to Peru, he became part of the First Division of the Army as Chief of Staff. He commanded and organized various divisions and regiments of the army, before becoming the Controller General of the Peruvian Army and, later, General Commander of said institution.
His most influential position was obtained shortly before giving the coup against Ugarteche. During the 1950s and shortly after the end of World War II, Pérez Godoy became president of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces. This put him in a position of great power within the Peruvian military..
During the second Ugarteche government (1956-1962), the country had been affected by a severe economic crisis that hit hard the purchasing power of the majority of Peruvian citizens. The agricultural sector was one of the most affected, and immediate reforms were demanded to solve the situation that the country was going through.
Already around 1962, the discontent against Ugarteche was so great that the citizens of Peru took the protests to the streets. In many cases, the anti-government demonstrations turned violent. However, elections were held regularly.
The big problem, and what propelled the coup, was that none of the candidates had obtained the necessary number of votes to reach the presidency. According to the constitution, Congress should be in charge of selecting the new president.
The development of the events was branded as fraudulent by the armed forces, commanded by Godoy. On July 18, 1962, 10 days after the end of the Ugarteche presidency, Godoy and the high military commanders carried out a coup against the president..
A government military junta was established, which was commanded by Pérez Godoy himself. This started his presidential term, which lasted less than a year..
One of the great criticisms of the Ugarteche government had been the neglect of the country's agrarian sector. To rectify problems of this nature, Pérez Godoy focused his reforms on the establishment of a special institution for agricultural development, and also allowed new works to be developed in Cusco.
The Pérez Godoy government set itself a couple of main objectives, which it failed to meet. The first of these was to end the problem caused by the International Oil Company, a US oil company that was illegally exploiting a region of Peru. Although the expropriation of this company was requested, Pérez Godoy's plan was not carried out,
In addition, in 1963, the military gave priority to the eradication of illiteracy in the country, but the measures that were taken to achieve this end were also a failure..
In January 1963, Pérez Godoy issued orders for the arrest of more than 800 Peruvian citizens, as the junta feared that those who favored the communist party would cause a stir against the government of the military.
However, the internal problems of the Pérez Godoy government intensified that same year. Pérez Godoy refused to increase the Air Force budget, causing discontent among board members. His dismissal occurred on March 3, reestablishing the democratic order in the country..
During Pérez Godoy's government, the National Economic and Social Development Planning System was established, an institution dedicated to the growth of the country using resources obtained naturally in Peru. This institution became known as the INP after democracy was restored in 1963.
The peasant crisis had reached such a critical state that by 1962 the workers had already appropriated a good part of the land, in the form of protest..
For this reason, the military junta decided to create a reform to give the peasants what they demanded. With this they sought to pacify the civil movement; the objective was partially achieved.
The EPF was a law that sought to modify the country's oil rights. Although it had some success, its ultimate goal was to stop the exploitation of resources by the American company International Oil Company..
However, this could not be fully achieved. The EPF was, in any case, a law that served to recognize the importance of oil for the Peruvian economy and led to the better development and planning of the country's oil activities.
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