The Frustrated Visit of the British Frigate HMS Montrose to Peru in 2012: An Explanation From the Decision-Making Process

Considering the Peruvian state's position on the Malvinas issue, the authorization and subsequent cancellation of the visit of the British frigate HMS Montrose in 2012 revealed institutional constraints and tensions. Based on a case study built from official sources, interviews, and statements, a classical theoretical approach using the Organizational and Bureaucratic Models is used to analyze the role of the main public actors involved in the decision-making process. In this sense, it is argued that the authorization followed institutional routines with little interaction between sectors, while the cancellation expressed a conflictive bureaucratic dynamic in which the Foreign Ministry was able to impose its position. The analysis also shows how Peruvian foreign policy decision-making operates under a high level of fragmentation, sectoral logics, unclear rules, and important power asymmetries between actors.