Francisco Morales Bermúdez was a Peruvian military officer and politician, best known for leading the country as the de facto president from 1975 to 1980. Born on October 4, 1921, in Lima, Morales Bermúdez came from a family of military leaders; his grandfather, Remigio Morales Bermúdez, also served as president of Peru in the late 19th century. He attended the Military Academy of Chorrillos, where he trained as an army officer.
Morales Bermúdez began his military career in the 1940s, steadily rising through the ranks. He held various positions in the Peruvian army before entering politics in the 1960s. After the 1968 military coup that ousted elected President Fernando Belaúnde Terry, Morales Bermúdez was appointed Minister of Economy under the military junta led by General Juan Velasco Alvarado.
As Minister of Economy, he played a central role in implementing the radical economic reforms promoted by Velasco, which aimed to nationalize key sectors of the Peruvian economy, including mining, oil, and agriculture. Although Morales Bermúdez initially supported these policies, he eventually opposed some of Velasco’s economic measures due to their negative impact on the country’s economic stability.
On August 29, 1975, Morales Bermúdez led a coup within the military junta, ousting Velasco and becoming president of Peru. Unlike Velasco, Morales Bermúdez sought to steer the military government toward more moderate policies and restore relations with conservative and economic sectors of the country. His presidency was marked by efforts to stabilize the economy, which was struggling with high inflation and mounting foreign debt.
Morales Bermúdez is also known for initiating Peru’s transition to democracy. In 1977, under increasing pressure from social movements and strikes, he announced a plan to hold elections and restore civilian government. In 1978, elections for a Constituent Assembly were held, marking the beginning of the transition to democracy. In 1980, general elections were organized, and Fernando Belaúnde Terry, the former president ousted in 1968, was re-elected. Morales Bermúdez peacefully left office, keeping his promise to return control to civilian rule.
Although Morales Bermúdez oversaw the transition to democracy, his government is criticized for human rights violations committed under his leadership, particularly in connection with Operation Condor, a coordinated repression program between South American military dictatorships. In 2017, an Italian court convicted him in absentia for his alleged participation in the operation, though he consistently denied any direct involvement.
Francisco Morales Bermúdez remains a complex figure in Peruvian history. While he is credited with facilitating the country’s return to democracy after more than a decade of military rule, he remains a controversial figure due to the methods employed by his government and allegations of human rights abuses. He passed away on July 14, 2022, at the age of 100.