Country Profile

Once known as a country blighted by economic and social upheaval, Peru has now experienced more than two decades of progress. Political and economic reforms implemented in the 1990s and reinforced in the 2000s have resulted in stability and a generally liberalised economy. The fourth-most-populous country in Latin America, Peru enjoys a rich heritage shaped by both Amerindian and Hispanic cultures. Peru is a member of the Pacific Alliance, the Andean Community and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and recently signed a number of important FTAs with the US, China and the EU. With ongoing modernisation and a relatively democratic and pluralist political system, reducing corruption, social inequality and inefficient government bureaucracy are high on the political agenda.

This chapter contains interviews with President Ollanta Humala; Lord Green, Minister of State for the UK Trade and Investment; and José Manuel García-Margallo, Spanish Foreign Minister.