For Juan Sheput, “states of emergency only serve for easy and uncontrolled business.” Regarding the deaths in Pataz, he believes that “plans are worthless if there is no leadership.”
The deaths in Pataz point to a larger problem. All candidates condemn violence but almost none openly condemn illegal mining.
Not only that, they have in their ranks individuals linked to that marginal sector. That silence could be the price they pay for obtaining hidden campaign financing. Illegal mining has already learned that the best way to gain impunity is through financing politics
Carlos Álvarez positioned the issue of security. But he is not an expert. What measures would you take in a presumed government? What characters are they recruiting to confront citizen insecurity?
He was the first to talk about insecurity. He is not an expert like all the candidates but unlike them he has empathy and is in tune with the real needs of the people. There are candidates who have shielded nefarious characters like Santivañez like César Acuña or have decorated them like Rafael López Aliaga. Carlos Álvarez was critical from the beginning. We see insecurity as a multidisciplinary problem and we address it not only from a police perspective but also from a legal and political perspective.
Evidently, it was his idea that Carlos Álvarez stop doing artistic shows. Are you afraid that they won’t take you seriously?
In any case I was one of those who advised them. It is about focusing the effort on the campaign and I consider that this histrionic capacity is a political asset. The political humor is devastating. In the United States it is Trump’s main nightmare.
He recalled that Acción Popular did not participate in the 2001 elections at the request of Valentín Paniagua. Do you think the president will try to foist some popularity on George Forsyth? He is already walking with the mayors of Somos Perú, thinking about the regional and municipal elections, which would be Patricia Li’s priority.
It is evident that the president coordinates with his Somos Perú party. He has not shown signs of independence. While the other presidents (Paniagua and Sagasti) handed in their cards, Mr. Jerí visits Patricia Li. It is not only about visits and poses with mayors in the middle of an election year but there are also appointments. There is no impartiality. It’s reality.
How do you plan to differentiate Carlos Álvarez from the rest of the candidates?
Without a doubt he is the outsider of this campaign. He has no political mortgages and that bothers those who have a career full of questions and failed or unfulfilled promises. He also has great social sensitivity. He will carry out reforms and works but always minimizing the social cost, which is what a good ruler does.
How much does the supposed business support that Álvarez has managed to summon weigh?
I see business support as a myth. If this were the case we would have a large campaign location and headquarters in several regions. It seems good to me that austerity is the hallmark of País Para Todos. That gives you independence.
He met Vladimir Meza when he was national youth secretary of Perú Posible. What do you think of his influence in the party? How to explain your complaint for abuse of your wife?
I have known Vladimir for more than 25 years and I am pleased to see that he has matured. Like any top leader, he has an obvious influence but that is counteracted by the internal political debate. In País Para Todos there are no employees who only know how to say yes to the boss because otherwise they will lose the leader’s favor. In relation to the complaint, I know that it has already been resolved and they currently have a cordial relationship.
Has Julia Príncipe helped in the screening of pre-candidates? Do you guarantee that there will be no candidates with ‘anticuchos’ or problems on their lists?
Dr. Príncipe is very rigorous in the demands of probity and that is needed in current times. Unfortunately, it is never possible to prevent a questionable person from appearing, but this is minimal due to what has been published by some researchers in the press.
Why didn’t the deals for Marianella Ledesma, Yamila Osorio and Leslye Lazo materialize?
Unfortunately, in these cases, sometimes the final decision depends more on the circumstances and definitions of the candidates than on the party. I think that has been the case in these cases. For example, in the case of Mrs. Lazo, the decision not to participate in Popular Action obviously weighed.
How many former Chacanos are there on the País Para Todos lists? There is Marco Falconí, who was also a candidate with José Luna and an official in the former Castilla Minister Juan Silva.
I have seen several, at different levels of responsibility. It is definitely an important contingent and that helped my decision to join País Para Todos. I have known Marco Falconí through my friend Alberto Borea since the days of the Democratic Forum. He has also been prefect with Valentín Paniagua and congressman with Alejandro Toledo. I’m sure it will be a contribution.
Are you afraid that some video or audio of your candidate will come out?
I have enough experience in presidential campaigns to face these types of issues even if they come from Artificial Intelligence. Fear is not a verb that defines my temperament and politicians know it.
How do you think Carlos Álvarez should deal with the insinuations that some rivals make about his private life?
A prominent politician never enters private territory. If there are those who do it, it is because they have nothing else to attack. I believe that the insinuations or assertions will not come from the field of politics but from the media. There will be some cowards who have to outsource the attacks.
As a former Toledista, do you remember when Carlos Álvarez criticized the candidates opposing the Fujimori regime from Channel 7?
But I remember the chicha press that through headlines in the newsstands they did carry out a real demolition. In that sense, I remember a conversation with the remembered Gustavo Mohme at Víctor Delfín’s house talking about the disastrous role of the chicha press.
The accusation of receiving money from the SIN was filed, but there is a vladivideo where Montesinos talks about instructing Carlos Álvarez and Tulio Loza to ridicule the Andrade brothers.
That may have been Montesinos’ intention and purpose but the facts rule. Carlos was one of those who catapulted Alberto Andrade by bringing his Creoleism to light and popularizing it. Thanks to that he made the jump from Miraflores to Lima. Whenever I have seen them it has been in a plan of friends, of camaraderie.
What bills and measures would you take from the Senate?
A Senator does not have a legislative initiative but he would coordinate with my caucus of deputies some legislative modifications in the case of the Serve Law that makes it easier for the corrupt to have lawyers, which has already degenerated other topics in the workplace (its relationship with AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution) and education (we are losing competitiveness).
He says that José Jerí is an imitator of Bukele. What do you think then of an imitator like Carlos Álvarez?
In this country there are candidates who imitate Trump, Milei, Evo and a bit of everyone. First of all, I think that for Carlos imitation is a strength because he is authentic. The rest are grotesque caricatures.
