Álvaro Vargas Llosa

Álvaro Vargas Llosa built his public career through journalism, political commentary, and books on Latin American development. He earned a degree in international history at the London School of Economics and later studied value investing in Spain. His work included editorial responsibilities at the Miami Herald, reporting from London for ABC, radio broadcasting, and syndicated columns for the Washington Post Writers Group. ¹

In Peru he was press spokesman for the Democratic Front’s 1990 presidential campaign and an international relations adviser to Perú Posible’s campaign in 2001. He directed the Independent Institute’s Center on Global Prosperity from 2005 to 2009. His books include Liberty for Latin America and, with Carlos Alberto Montaner and Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot. ¹

Global Crossings, published in 2013, brought his interest in international affairs to migration. Drawing on historical comparisons and contemporary immigrant experiences, he examined assimilation, labour markets, and restrictions on movement. He argued that immigration’s economic benefits outweighed its costs and advocated policies more open to migrants. The book treated migration as a question of individual choice as well as national economic policy. ²

His appointment as Peru’s ambassador to the United States was published on 14 October 2026. The resolution identified him by his full name, Álvaro Augusto Mario Vargas Llosa, and provided for a separate ministerial decision on when he would assume his duties. ³