The Foreign Policy of Peru - Tapa dura

Since Peru's independence in 1824, its foreign policy has been shaped by the conflicting demands of independence and interdependence. Ronald Bruce St John systematically analyzes the strong link between the external and internal concerns that determine Peruvian foreign policy, demonstrating that domestic objectives and political considerations strongly influence - if not actually dictate - many aspects of the nation's international posture. With violence, in particular, an integral part of the Peruvian political system, internal conflict has frequently disrupted external policy, and the latter has often become largely a reflection of the former. Other factors, of course, including the country's geographical size and location, the export-led nature of its economy, and the socioeconomic and political relationships that have developed with regional and extra-regional powers, have exerted a strong influence as well. Approaching Peru as a case study in Third World foreign policy, St John also draws from its history conclusions that can aptly be applied to other nations.