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| Francisco Sagasti | |
|---|---|
| Name | Francisco Sagasti |
| Birth date | 10 October 1944 |
| Birth place | Lima, Peru |
| Nationality | Peruvian |
| Occupation | Engineer, scholar, consultant, politician |
| Alma mater | National University of Engineering; University of Pennsylvania; Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Francisco Sagasti is a Peruvian engineer, academic, consultant and politician who served as President of Peru from November 2020 to July 2021. A scholar of technology policy and development economics, he worked for international organizations and universities before entering public office. He led a transitional administration during a period of political crisis following the removal of President Martín Vizcarra and the short presidency of Manuel Merino. Sagasti is noted for his engagement with international organizations and for writings on innovation, public policy and democratic resilience.
Born in Lima, Sagasti studied engineering at the National University of Engineering before pursuing graduate studies in the United States. He obtained a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. During his formative years he was influenced by Latin American intellectual currents associated with figures and institutions such as Fernando Belaúnde Terry-era planners, the Inter-American Development Bank, and debates surrounding developmentalism in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sagasti held academic positions and research appointments at institutions including the International Development Research Centre, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and the United Nations Development Programme. He published on innovation systems, technology transfer and policy planning, engaging with scholarship related to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank. As a consultant he advised multinational organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization on projects touching science and technology policy, innovation policy, and research capacity building. Sagasti’s professional network included colleagues from the London School of Economics, the University of Oxford, and research centers like the Center for International Development at Harvard University.
Sagasti’s political activity spans engagement with Peruvian parties and civil society movements. He was associated with centrist and reformist currents comparable to those personified by leaders such as Alejandro Toledo and organizations like Ciudadanos por el Cambio-style platforms. He served in advisory capacities for Peruvian legislatures and ministries interacting with institutions such as the Ministry of Production (Peru) and the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (Peru). His public profile rose during episodes of institutional crises in Peru, aligning him with figures from civil society, journalists from outlets such as El Comercio (Peru) and La República (Peru), and members of parliamentary groups like Purple Party and centrist coalitions.
In November 2020, following the removal of President Martín Vizcarra and the brief administration of Manuel Merino, the Peruvian Congress appointed Sagasti as head of a transitional executive tasked with stabilizing the country. His interim cabinet engaged with congressional blocs including Peru Libre, Popular Force (Peru), and other parliamentary groups to manage the transfer of power until the 2021 general election. The transition occurred amid mobilizations involving organizations such as the Ensayos por la Democracia movement and protests referring to human rights concerns provoked by clashes with units like the National Police of Peru.
Sagasti’s administration prioritized restoring institutional confidence and strengthening cooperation with multilateral partners, including the Pan American Health Organization and the International Monetary Fund. Policy priorities encompassed public health responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, coordination with vaccine initiatives involving actors such as Pfizer–BioNTech, Sinopharm, and COVAX mechanisms administered by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. His government advanced measures related to social protection tied to programs administered by the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (Peru), fiscal stabilization with the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, and efforts to reinforce transparency involving watchdogs like the Ombudsman of Peru.
After leaving office in July 2021, Sagasti returned to academic and international engagement, participating in forums alongside representatives from the United Nations, the Inter-American Dialogue, and academic conferences hosted by institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and the Georgetown University. He resumed writing on themes linking democratic governance to technological change, contributing to publications engaging networks connected to the OECD and think tanks like the Brookings Institution and Chatham House.
Sagasti is married and has family ties in Lima. He has been recognized by academic and professional bodies for his work in science and technology policy, receiving accolades from organizations akin to the American Association for the Advancement of Science and recognition in Latin American scholarly circles. His honors include invitations to lecture at universities such as the University of California, Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and regional honors from research institutions across Latin America.
Category:Peruvian politicians Category:Presidents of Peru Category:Peruvian engineers