UPDATE 1-Peru swaps, buys back $2.3 bln in bonds-Econmin

(Adds quotes from Economy minister, background)

LIMA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Peru swapped and bought back $2.296 billion of old Brady bonds and a global 2012 paper as part of a strategy to improve the country's debt profile, Economy Minister Luis Carranza said on Friday.

The deal totaled less than the $3.634 billion initially planned by the government, but Carranza said it was "completely successful," calling it the most important debt management deal ever concluded by the government.

"We managed to reduce the nominal amount of the public debt by $55 million, freed $38 million in collateral and ended with $13 million in cash," the minister told reporters at a news conference.

Carranza said the government exchanged $2.190 billion and bought back $106 million of the global 2012 bond and four other types of Bradies.

The numbers differed from a previous statement issued by the lead managers of the deal, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank, on behalf of the Peruvian government.

According to that statement, the deal totaled $2.489 billion -- including a swap of Bradies and global 2012 bond worth $2.382 billion and a buyback of the same bonds worth $107 million.

Carranza said the difference might be due to the banks not taking into account some recent amortizations.