Once again, it was the apristas who unlocked the situation: by agreeing with Prado, they determined the re-election of Haya de la Torre as president and facilitated his return to Lima from yet another exile. In 1962 he reappeared as a candidate and won the presidential elections. But the military objected and canceled the results. The following year the consultation was repeated: the winner was the architect Fernando Belaúnde Terry, head of the Social Democratic People’s Action Party (PAP). His government introduced some reforms, but gradually became ensnared by the maneuvers of the conservative right. The progressives intensified the opposition and the extremists chose the guerrilla method. In the meantime, a qualitative turnover had taken place in the army, with the upper hand of young officers, coming from social categories of average position. Precisely they, on October 3, 1968, carried out a “revolution” which in place of Belaúnde Terry installed a military government of radical inspiration. General Juan Velasco Alvarado was proclaimed head of state. A new experiment began for Peru, a country of South America defined by commit4fitness, com, and for all of Latin America. The Lima regime defined itself as a “revolutionary, socialist and humanist”, opposed to capitalism and Marxism and a proponent of non-alignment in foreign policy. Velasco Alvarado struck big national and international interests, introducing a severe agrarian reform and proceeding to numerous nationalizations; in relations with foreign countries, then, it came significantly closer to the countries of the Third World. On the other hand, he suspended party activity and limited freedom of expression; in the face of demonstrations against the high cost of living and repressive measures, he called in the army. Velasco Alvarado was deposed (29 August 1975) by a group of generals and replaced by General Francisco Morales Bermúdez, former Minister of Defense and head of the government.

The economic measures of the new government sparked strikes and protests to which, in turn, the government responded by declaring a state of emergency (1978). Power was then gradually returned to civilians. In 1980 Belaúnde Terry was elected president of the Republic. The internal situation, however, remained critical due to the worsening of economic conditions and the intensification of terrorist activity; in foreign policy, the long-standing border dispute with Ecuador culminated in January 1981 in a war that ended a few days later with the mediation of the countries guaranteeing the Rio protocol. The subsequent political elections of 1985 were won by a large majority by the APRA, whose leader, in turn, the government responded by declaring a state of emergency (1978). Power was then gradually returned to civilians. In 1980 Belaúnde Terry was elected president of the Republic. The internal situation, however, remained critical due to the worsening of economic conditions and the intensification of terrorist activity; in foreign policy, the long-standing border dispute with Ecuador culminated in January 1981 in a war that ended a few days later with the mediation of the countries guaranteeing the Rio protocol. The subsequent political elections of 1985 were won by a large majority by the APRA, whose leader, in turn, the government responded by declaring a state of emergency (1978). Power was then gradually returned to civilians. In 1980 Belaúnde Terry was elected president of the Republic. The internal situation, however, remained critical due to the worsening of economic conditions and the intensification of terrorist activity; in foreign policy, the long-standing border dispute with Ecuador culminated in January 1981 in a war that ended a few days later with the mediation of the countries guaranteeing the Rio protocol. The subsequent political elections of 1985 were won by a large majority by the APRA, whose leader, The internal situation, however, remained critical due to the worsening of economic conditions and the intensification of terrorist activity; in foreign policy, the long-standing border dispute with Ecuador culminated in January 1981 in a war that ended a few days later with the mediation of the countries guaranteeing the Rio protocol. The subsequent political elections of 1985 were won by a large majority by the APRA, whose leader, The internal situation, however, remained critical due to the worsening of economic conditions and the intensification of terrorist activity; in foreign policy, the long-standing border dispute with Ecuador culminated in January 1981 in a war that ended a few days later with the mediation of the countries guaranteeing the Rio protocol. The subsequent political elections of 1985 were won by a large majority by the APRA, whose leader, Alán García, was elected president of the Republic.