Modern-day Peru has experienced two revolutions. The first was the revolution of the Shining Path, which was a failure because it did not coincide with the desires of the population. The second was the revolution of the informals, who have revindicated for themselves the right to private property, the right to free enterprise, and, above all, the right to develop their individual capacity and effort. In so doing, the least-favored Peruvians and Latin Americans are at the forefront of the construction of an authentic Latin-American market economy and have created the foundation for optimism about future changes. Until recently, there was reason to be very pessimistic about any major government reforms because they lacked social support. Nowadays, with the emergence of uncontainable informal activities and the development of an entrepreneurial sector of popular origin, large adjustment programs have social support.
