The Perversion of American Aid: The Congress of the United States and the Peruvian 'Mirage' Crisis

Abstract

A group of American congressmen used the Peruvian government’s purchase of French Mirage fighter planes in 1967 to attack two key elements of the United States’ Cold War policy: economic aid and military assistance.  Their criticism was framed within the debate over the nature of US foreign aid, as it had developed since its emergence towards the end of the 1940’s.  The legislators questioned the usefulness of the economic aid and criticized the priorities of the recipient countries. They also highlighted the negative impact of military assistance. The actions of the Peruvian government, therefore, played an important role in the development of relations between the American Executive and Legislative powers in a critical moment of United States history.