Editing Alejandro Toledo (section)

===High expectations===
During his campaign, Toledo promised Peruvians higher wages, a fight against poverty, anti-corruption measures, higher pensions, more employment, military reform, development of tourism, and industrialization. As [[Pedro Pablo Kuczynski]] noted "Toledo comes after almost 30 years of either dictatorships or governments that weren't so democratic. People expect Toledo to solve all the problems of the last 30 years, which included an enormous increase in relative poverty."<ref>"[http://www.newsweek.com/2005/02/28/pedro-pablo-kuczynski.html Pedro-Pablo Kuczynski.]" ''Newsweek''. 28 February 2005. Retrieved 27 June 2011.</ref> Toledo's inability to fulfill many of these promises created widespread dissatisfaction. His approval ratings were consistently low throughout his presidency, sometimes sinking into single digits.

Toledo also promised open market free trade reforms, which reflected Peru's business interests while also promising to review [[Fujimori's privatization programs]]. Specifically, Toledo promised not to privatize any of Peru's public utilities. This promise, combined with lofty promises of reduced unemployment and poverty, caused Peru's rank and file to set the bar very high for his administration. Shortly after coming to office Toledo met with IMF officials and promised that he would raise $700&nbsp;million in 2002, and almost one billion dollars in 2003, by selling state assets.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=A History of Latin America|author1=Keen, B.|author2=Haynes, K.A.|date=2009|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=9780618783182|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_FVIOhdR9n8C|page=535|access-date=16 October 2014}}</ref>

To compound his problems, President Toledo faced a [[2001 southern Peru earthquake|devastating earthquake]] in his first year in office. This natural disaster left much of Peru morally and fiscally devastated. With many homes and businesses destroyed, economic ills were exacerbated.<ref name="google2006"/>