Ricardo Márquez Flores

Ricardo Marquez Flores (born Lima, June 16, 1943) is a Peruvian businessman and politician. He was First Vice President of Peru during the second term of the government of Alberto Fujimori between 1995 and 2000, and also in his brief third term from July 28, 2000, until the resignation of Fujimori.

Early life

He was born to María Esther Flores Lozano de Marquez. He studied at the Leoncio Prado Military College in the La Perla-Callao district, and later studied Industrial Engineering at New York University.

He was Vice President of the National Confederation of Private Business Institutions (CONFIEP). From 1993 to 1994, he served as the president of the National Society of Industries.

In 2018 he again assumed the presidency of the National Society of Industries.

Political activity

In the 1995 general elections, he ran for the first vice-presidency of the Republic, in the presidential ticket of then-president Alberto Fujimori, who triumphed in his first re-election. Márquez was commissioned to launch a five-year export promotion plan, the goal of which was to turn Peru into a vigorous export economy.

In April 1996, the government created the Export Promotion Commission (Prompex), which was chaired by Márquez.

He was President of the Center for the Promotion of Small and Micro-enterprises (PROMPYME).

Second Vice President (2000)

In the 2000 general elections, he ran for the second vice presidency, in the ticket headed by Fujimori, who again triumphed in his third re-election, amid discontent among a large part of the population.

When Fujimori resigned and along with him first vice president Francisco Tudela, it was up to Márquez to assume the presidency as second vice president, according to the Constitution. However, he also chose to submit his resignation, which was accepted by the Congress on November 22, 2000.

Márquez did not return to participate in politics and rather focused on forming a career in business.