Peruvians swear in a new president on Thursday; after winning just over 50 percent of the vote, the country welcomed a conservative Ivy-league graduate, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
Also known as just PPK, Kuczynski was born in Peru; his Polish-German father was an accomplished doctor noted for his research on health issues in South America.
In Perú, Andre Ciliotta, 25, who graduated from Northeastern University and is back in his home country, told NBC News that he was happy with the results.
"I am really glad Kuczynski won the election, and I did vote for him, I believe he is a capable leader to rule this country."
During the campaign PPK had made big promises that he would restore fiscal health and the country's security. He touted his educational background and history in Peruvian politics. PPK graduated with a bachelors degree the University of Oxford, and a masters from Princeton University, where he studied economics.
"He is a brilliant economist," said Ciliotta. "In terms of education, he has appointed a great prime minister, he is going to revolutionize the public health sector, giving proper care to poor people, but it will take time. And most importantly, public security, he has to be strict because it is really bad nowadays in Peru."
On Thursday Peru's new president tweeted in Spanish: "My thanks and commitment is to the whole country. I have a goal to achieve peace and unity between all Peruvians."
PPK has had a fairly long career in politics; he served as the Minister of Energy and Mines, Minister of Economy and Finance, and most recently as Prime Minister.
Andrea Guerrero, 23, from Lima, also a recent U.S. graduate, was also happy with his victory because she agrees with his economic plans.
"Economically, I trust PPK’s promises. He has a strong background as the ex Minister of Economy and Finance and plans to continue the current government’s market-friendly fiscal and monetary policies. He wants to raise the minimum wage to S/. 850, eliminate those long procedures that hinder the country’s investment and development, incentivize small businesses and reduce the Impuesto General a las Ventas (taxes) from 18% to 15%."
Peru's economy has been on the rise and candidates like PPK were pushing the country in a different direction, as a recent Forbes article points out. "Whether as a result of widespread disappointment with the Humala administration or of the economic slowdown, the election has seen a clear shift away from the left and resource nationalism," said Katie Micklethwaite, a senior Latin America analyst interviewed by the magazine.