Peru's 35-year-old finance minister is suddenly a rock star
Appointed only last October, Alva is increasingly seen as a central figure in President Martin Vizcarra’s cabinet, part of a rising generation of new leaders, and spends a great deal of time explaining public policy to a nervous public.
WORLD Updated: May 06, 2020 12:15 IST
Bloomberg |?Posted by Niyati Singh
Everyone calls her Toni. Mothers take selfies of her with their children, and street hawkers push bracelets into her hand as presents. Artists sketch her portrait and post them to social media. TV networks vie for interviews and run profiles asking, “Who is Maria Antonieta Alva?”
The answer: She’s the 35-year-old finance minister of Peru steering an ambitious recovery package during a devastating pandemic, and she is winning praise for its generosity to small businesses and ordinary citizens.
“From a Latin perspective, Peru is a clear leader in terms of macro response,” said Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard economist who was Alva’s professor and is leading a team of experts advising Peru and 10 other countries on mitigating the effects of coronavirus. “You could have imagined a very different outcome if Toni weren’t there.”
Appointed only last October, Alva is increasingly seen as a central figure in President Martin Vizcarra’s cabinet, part of a rising generation of new leaders, and spends a great deal of time explaining public policy to a nervous public.
More:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/peru-s-35-year-old-finance-minister-is-suddenly-a-rock-star/story-MSoxNx1mIee2M1J13ixVzL.html
