Cambio 90

Cambio 90 was a political party in Peru, primarily associated with its presidential candidate and later president, Alberto Fujimori. Fujimori, an agricultural engineer and son of Japanese immigrants, founded the party to run in the 1990 presidential election. He successfully defeated novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, appealing to lower-middle-class voters, evangelical Christians, and indigenous populations.12

Cambio 90, under Fujimori's leadership, implemented controversial austerity measures shortly after he took office, which stabilized the economy but caused hardship for the poor. The party was also linked to Fujimori's 1992 autogolpe (self-administered coup) and subsequent neoliberal economic policies, including privatization. Fujimori won re-election but faced accusations of fraud, and his government collapsed in 2000 amid corruption allegations, leading him to flee the country.12