Peruvian food is appreciated around the world for its originality and variety, and this is confirmed by the international awards that are given each year to national restaurants and chefs. But when the Metropolitan Regional Government of Lima, headed by Rafael López Aliaga, had to buy food to serve the citizens most affected by the rains in 16 districts of the capital, The now presidential candidate of Renovación Popular preferred to purchase cold rations abroad.
These are 40,000 “packs” of three different menus that are not typical for the consumption of Lima residents. Among the packaged foods are chili turkey, pasta with beans (pasta fagioli), Tex-Mex tacos, cheese-filled tortellini, shredded potatoes with bacon, Caribbean-style Creole chicken rice, Italian sausage and shredded potatoes with bacon.
In compliance with the Supreme Decree of March 12, 2025, which declared an emergency in districts hit by the impact of the rains. López Aliaga was assigned a budget of S/2,780,000. True to form, there was no bidding but rather direct hiring. On August 6 of this year, the authority awarded the import to the company Lealto EIRL, which in turn purchased the products from the company XMRE, based in Miami, United States. That is, Lealto EIRL sold each ration for S/69.50. Almost US$20 per unit placed in Peru.
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The amount for each menu is by far very high. Furthermore, the purchased dishes are not what Peruvians eatmuch less the residents of the Lima districts in which these so-called “cold rations are distributed in response to the state of emergency.”
The Republic requested information from the Metropolitan Regional Government of Lima about the reasons that supported the decision to import “emergency rations” to a company in Miami composed of dishes that are not native to the country. The agreed interviews were canceled three times.
The Disaster Risk Manager of the Municipality of Lima, Mario Casaretto La Torre, said that in his case he was in charge of distributing the cold rations and that he did not participate in the preparation of the contracting rules.
“Until now 22,000 cold rations have been distributed and 18,000 are in warehouses of Humanitarian Aid for the replenishment of the districts that require them,” said Cassareto.
The districts that were declared in emergency are Ate, Carabayllo, Chaclacayo and Cieneguilla. Also Comas, El Agustino, Lima, Los Olivos, Lurigancho (Chosica) and Lurín. In addition, Pachacámac, Puente Piedra, Punta Hermosa, Rímac, San Juan de Lurigancho and San Martín de Porres. That is, in areas where populations with a high level of vulnerability to heavy rains are concentrated. For these, cold rations were purchased.
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He Selection Committee of the Regional Government of Metropolitan Lima awarded the company Lealto EIRL supposedly as a sole supplier.
According to the documentation of the process, the companies Lealto EIRL and UNIMAC, which do not belong to the category of emergency food provider and should not have been admitted, were finalists in a “market study.” However, their offer of S/76.20 per serving and a total of S/3,048,000 for the 40,000 servings was rejected, since Lealto EIRL proposed a lower cost.
The XMRE products were imported by Lealto Latamaccredited as a distributor of these foods, whose owner is the same as Lealto EIRL: the supplier that was awarded the direct contract, without bidding.
Although the rations were distributed in a bag with the logos of the Metropolitan Regional Government of Lima, the contents are identified in the English language. How could the beneficiaries of cold rations understand what they were receiving?
The Regulation on Sanitary Surveillance and Control of Food and Beverages (Supreme Decree-007-98-SA (DIGESA), indicates in article 117 that the labeling in Spanish must include “name of the product, declaration of the ingredients and additives used in the preparation of the product, name and address of the manufacturer, expiration date, special storage conditions” and others. But this information is in English.
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The Republic was able to verify that the “packs” include chemical food warmers, with instructions for use also in English. The regulations indicate that the information must be in Spanish so that consumers do not suffer possible poisoning. But this is not fulfilled.
“Are you aware that food packaging is in English and not Spanish?” Mario Cassareto was asked.
“The supplier had the obligation to put the instructions for the food in Spanish or place a brochure in Spanish. The truth is that I have not read the packaging,” he answered.
“And why don’t you prefer national foods?” he was told.
“What happens is that those Food only lasts for one year and what has been purchased is valid for three years. We do not know when we will see an earthquake or a cataclysm. The important thing is that we have food for three years,” argued Cassareto.
The general manager of Lealto EIRL, Luis Alvarado Ato, defended the purchase of enchiladas, tortellinis and pasta fagioli from López Aliaga. He said it was the best food in the world. “These rations are ready-made meals that last three years, compared to others that only last 10 months. They are distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the United States. Lima is the only one that is at the forefront in terms of immediate response regarding food and that no one has,” said Alvarado.
“The best food in the world”
- The owner of Lealto EIRL, Luis Alvarado Ato, stated that the S/69.80 he charged for each serving is a low amount, “because we sell that product for S/80.”
- “Each cold ration kit comes with a brochure written in Spanish,” he indicated. But this newspaper had access to a “pack” where everything is in English.
- Luis Alvarado faces investigations for sales to the Air Force and the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, but he affirms that he does not have any case to which he must respond.
- In 2022, the Comptroller’s Office concluded the existence of irregularities in the hiring of Lealto EIRL for the disinfection of the FAP Hospital.
- In 2023, the Comptroller’s Office again decided to initiate legal action against Lealto EIRL for the poor sale of combat rations.
