Land without Masters: Agrarian Reform and Political Change under Peru's Military Government

by Anna Cant

In 1969, Juan Velasco Alvarado's military government began an ambitious land-reform program in Peru, transferring holdings from large estates to peasant cooperatives. Fifty years later, these reforms remain controversial: conservative critics claim they unjustly expropriated land and ruined the Peruvian economy, while supporters emphasize their success in addressing rural inequality and exploitation.

Moving beyond agricultural policy to offer a fresh perspective on the agrarian reform, Land without Masters shows how ideological assumptions and state interventions surrounding the reform transformed Peru's political culture and social fabric. Drawing on fieldwork in three different regions, Anna Cant demonstrates the importance of comparing the impact of the reform on those who were targeted by it with its success or failure nationwide. Through this innovative approach, she highlights the new forms of agency that emerged, including that of marginalized peasants who helped forge a new social, cultural, and political landscape.

Making novel use of both visual and cultural sources, this book is a fascinating look at how the agrarian reform process permanently altered the relationship between rural citizens and the national government--and how it continues to resonate in Peruvian politics today.

Genres: History

248 pages, Hardcover

Published April 20, 2021