(Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana, American Popular Revolutionary Alliance)
Founded in Mexico in 1924 by the Peruvian exile Haya de la Torre. Its ideals were influenced by the ideals of socialism and of the Mexican Revolution. It supported land reform, the nationalization of foreign-owned companies, and the safeguard of Indian rights and culture. Contrary to Haya's objectives, the movement failed to spread across Latin America, but it did become the leading democratic party in Peru. There, its progress was continuously hampered by the military, most glaringly in 1962, when they prevented the elected Haya from taking up the presidency.
APRA exercised considerable influence over the writing of the 1979 constitution, which introduced e.g. a universal suffrage without educational qualifications. In 1985, its candidate, Alan García Perez (b. 1949), finally managed to become president. His attempt to meet Peru's economic crisis through government spending proved disastrous, and APRA's support plummeted from 50 per cent in 1985 to 19.2 per cent (1990). It boycotted the following elections in protest against the 1992 political coup by President Fujimori. APRA regrouped for the corrupt 2000 elections, and at the free elections in 2001 it became the second largest party in parliament, and in 2006 its candidate, Alán, García Pérez, was elected to the Presidency.
Subjects: Contemporary History (Post 1945).