was elected president of Peru in 2001—the first Peruvian president of indigenous descent to be democratically elected in 500 years. During his five-year term, the central aim of Toledo’s presidency was the fight against poverty through investment in health care and education. As a result, extreme poverty was reduced by 25 percent in five years, and the Peruvian economy grew at an average of 6 percent from 2004-2006, making it one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. Previously, Toledo worked for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington and at the United Nations in New York. Toledo is currently a distinguished visiting scholar at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and a senior fellow in foreign policy and global economy and development at the Brookings Institution.

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