The Minister of the Interior, Juan Santiváñez, was questioned yesterday in the Congress chamber. The majority of benches do not have the intention of censor it. The debate showed that in a block of parliamentary groups, although some have criticism of this management, they do not question its permanence.
The session also reflected the lack of interest of the Congress. The hemicycle looked almost empty, despite the fact that, of the 29 questions that the interrogatory document had, most of them were related to the crisis of citizen insecurity that the country faces.
Minutes after 3 in the afternoon the minister began to respond. Regarding the fight against crime, he alleged that his administration implemented 14 measures, including the Safe Dawn, Safe Return and Plan Genesis programs.
The motion also addressed the case of the audios of the PNP captain, Junior Izquierdo, alias “Culebra.” The minister rejected having his voice appear in those recordings.
Another important question in the document referred to the law that entrusts the National Police of Peru (PNP) with the direction of the preliminary investigation of crimes. “It is absolutely constitutional,” he assured. “I must reiterate that the PNP is trained and has the experience to carry out these investigations,” he added.
This law is pending promulgation and has generated controversy because with this rule the Public Ministry (MP) will no longer direct preliminary investigations. Thursday, September 26 Congress sent its autograph to the Palace. The president Dina Boluarte You have 15 days to present your observations or sign the resolution.
When the minister had finished answering the document, there were still large absences in the chamber. The legislators of Alliance for Progress (APP)Jorge Marticorena and Luis Kamiche, regretted that a sector of their colleagues who promoted the interpellation are not present.
“There are 22 colleagues who have signed the interpellation, where are they? That is the image we give to the country (…). “Why do we come to waste time,” protested the apepist Kamiche.
As the interventions progressed, more congressmen entered. In that role as speakers, some parliamentarians from the self-proclaimed “Democratic Bloc” came out in defense of Minister Santiváñez’s management and refused to join a censure.
The first to speak was the legislator from Acción Popular (AP), Ilich López. “There is no room for censorship,” he said.
Two congressmen from Somos Perú also expressed themselves in the same sense. “I salute the courage that the minister has (…). I value that,” said parliamentarian Alfredo Azurín.
“I believe that what the 12 previous ministers did not do, the current minister is doing in terms of operational plans and in terms of raising the morale of the PNP,” said his colleague Héctor Valer.
The congressmen of Popular Forcethe only bench that had opposed the interpellation motion.
“When the minister steps on calluses, unfortunately the response is that wave of criticism, a wave interested in this administration failing,” questioned Fujimorist Víctor Flores. His colleague Héctor Ventura regretted that “those banks that supported Pedro Castillo’s presidential plan now repudiate Dina Boluarte’s management.”
Therefore, there is no spirit and no votes in Congress to censure the Minister of the Interior.
Hours before the interpellation, the congressman of the Popular Democratic Bloc (BDP), Sigrid Bazánannounced that will file a motion to remove him from office and that he was going to collect the signatures. At the closing of this note, the necessary rubrics were missing to formally promote this request.
Empty chamber in another interpellation
Yesterday the Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Castro, was questioned about the forest fires that caused the death of more than 10 people and 140 injuries.
When Minister Castro answered the list of questions, the chamber also looked empty. According to La República sources, only 15 congressmen were present.
In his presentation he said that the fires were caused by poor agricultural practices such as burning land prior to planting.
