RICARDO PÉREZ GODOY: BIOGRAPHY, GOVERNMENT AND WORKS - HISTORY - 2025

Ricardo Pérez 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.

Military Library of Lima

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 gain 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.

Biography

Early years

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 an upbringing typical 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 that is awarded to students who have learned how to manage - effectively - 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.

Military life

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 General Controller 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.

Coup d'etat against Ugarteche

During the second Ugarteche government (1956-1962), the country had been affected by a strong economic crisis that hit hard the purchasing power of the majority of Peruvian citizens. The agrarian sector was one of the most affected, and immediate reforms were demanded to solve the situation 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, the 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 was responsible for 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 command of the military carried out a coup against the president.

A military government junta was established, which was commanded by Pérez Godoy himself. This began his presidential term, which lasted less than a year.

Characteristics of his government

Agricultural approach

One of the great criticisms of the Ugarteche government had been the neglect of the country's agrarian sector. To straighten out 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.

Failure in your objectives

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.

Communist persecution and internal problems

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 budget of the Air Force, which caused discontent among members of the board. His dismissal took place on March 3, reestablishing the democratic order in the country.

Plays

Creation of the first INP

During the Pérez Godoy 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.

Agrarian reform

The peasant crisis had reached such a critical stage that by 1962 the workers had already appropriated a good part of the land, in the form of protest.

Therefore, the military junta decided to create a reform to give the peasants what they demanded. With this it was sought to pacify the civil movement; the objective was partially achieved.

Organic Law of the Fiscal Oil Company

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.

References

1. Biography of Ricardo Pío Pérez Godoy (1913-1982), The Biography US, (nd). Taken from thebiography.us
2. Manuel Prado Ugarteche Facts, Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2010. Taken from biography.yourdictionary.com
3. Biography of Ricardo Pérez Godoy, Wikipedia in English, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org
4. Ricardo Pérez Godoy, Spanish Wikipedia, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org
5. Government of Ricardo Pérez Godoy, Wikipedia in Spanish, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org