Velasco Alvarado's Peru: Mixed Legacy for Peasants (1968–1975)

Positive Impacts

• Agrarian reform: Redistributed millions of acres to peasant cooperatives.
• Credit & inputs: Access to fertilizer, loans boosted productivity.
• Social services: Expanded rural education and healthcare.

Negative Impacts

• Economic instability: Nationalizations and state expansion caused inflation, market disruption.
• Political repression: Dissidents jailed/tortured; fear stifled peasant organizing.
• Bureaucracy: Bloated, unresponsive agencies hindered service delivery.

Overall

Velasco's government brought landmark land reform and social investment but undermined gains with economic mismanagement and authoritarianism. The peasant experience was profoundly mixed.