Ricardo Pérez Godoy
Ricardo Pío Pérez Godoy ( born June 9, 1905 in Lima, † July 26, 1982 ibid ) was from 1962 to 1963 as head of a military junta in power in Peru.
In the presidential elections of June 10, 1962 three major candidates were lined up: Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre. Founder and Chairman of APRA, Fernando Belaúnde Terry and the former dictator Manuel A. Odría. Haya de la Torre won after the official results with a percent ahead of Belaúnde, but missed the required loud Peruvian Constitution thirds of the votes. Also forgery were allegations. The decision now was for the Peruvian congress; Haya de la Torre and Odría forged an alliance, which should bring Odría to power.
Takeover of power and presidency (1962-1963)
At 3:20 am on July 18, 1962 drove one of 30 erected tanks on the presidential palace to and rammed through the black iron gates through. The reigning constitutional President Manuel Prado y Ugarteche was deposed by the military just 10 days before the end of his term of office.
Ricardo Pérez Godoy was (as Chairman of the Association of Military commanders ) at the head of the military junta, which consisted of high-ranking military: General Nicolás Lindley López, commander of the national army; Vice- Admiral Juan Francisco Torres Matos, commander of the fleet; and General Pedro Vargas Prada, commander of the Peruvian Air Force. After entering the presidential palace, the junta members sworn himself set the constitutional rights suspended, dissolved the parliament, imprisoned members of the electoral commission, and promised free and clean elections for June 9, 1963. Nicolás Lindley López was appointed Prime Minister.
The military coup was condemned around the world: The initial reactions were characterized by disapproval and condemnation of what the junta surprised. Of the nine Latin American countries suspended diplomatic relations or broke them all off, as the United States, but which they took after a few months and the military government recognized.
Under the slogan of a "New Peru " continued Pérez Godoy by an increase in the state budget by 24% and led to the counter-financing a new tax. Among them was a charge of $ 1 per tonne of anchovy, which led to strikes and threatened the fish processing industry. As Pérez Godoy refused to approve the construction of a new hospital for the Air Force General Vargas Prada, were opposed to him the other junta members.
Early 1963 indicated Pérez Godoy, deviate from the original plan to hold elections on 9 June and retain power longer than expected to want.
Loss of power
After he had received warnings that his junta colleagues were planning his deposition, Pérez Godoy tried to win the support of regional military commanders and civilian forces. His efforts came to nothing.
Pedro Vargas Prado and Francisco Torres Matos presented an ultimatum: resign or dismissal. The answer of Pérez Godoy was: "I refuse to leave the post, it is now too late to continue this conversation I'll go to sleep.. .
He was replaced by the second strong man, Nicolás Lindley López, who assumed the presidency on 3 March 1963. Lindley López conducted the elections as scheduled, from which Fernando Belaúnde Terry emerged as the winner.