The appointment of Óscar Vera Gargurevich as general manager of Petroperu It is temporary, stated a statement issued by the company yesterday, Thursday, November 14. Faced with the barrage of criticism, the state institution wanted to put a patch on it to contain the coming wave. However, on the same day it published an expensive advertisement in a local newspaper, welcoming the arrival of foreign presidents to APEC. As if he had money left over.
LEFT TURN
“It is stubbornness towards someone who has already failed in Petroperu“, says Ántero Flores-Aráoz about the appointment of the union member. “And on top of that it scares away people who could enter in good faith. That’s why they don’t generate trust. Its mere presence prevents having a potable directory,” he adds. “Who is going to want to join a board of directors to be in bad company? Tell me who you’re with and I’ll tell you who you are. Because even if you want to sell Petroperú you have to dress the bride well and that costs.” For Fernando Rospigliosi “it is a terrible decision, a tremendous setback, a very bad sign.” According to the Fuerza Popular congressman, “Vera is a union member, one of those responsible for this catastrophe.”
There is consensus that this is a bad decision. But there are many theories that try to explain why the Government has shot itself in the foot of this magnitude.
“One version is that it would be the quota with the people of Vladimir Cerrón and Perú Libre,” Rospigliosi theorizes. “Another version is that there are personal relationships between Mrs. Boluarte and certain people who have recommended this duo of Alejandro Narváez (president of Petroperu) and Vera”. Former Prime Minister Flores-Aráoz leans towards the second thesis. “It must be more out of friendship than ideology,” suggests Ántero. “Because the president has already taken a turn. It would give the impression that someone asked for a favor or it was out of friendship. But with this you don’t walk.” A third thesis suggests that it is pressure from the influential Petroperú unions. “Dina Boluarte has given in to the leftist, statist sectors of her government, to the workers unions…”, reflects Jorge del Castillo. “It could be a party quota and also pressure from the union, it could be both,” the former premier slips. Especially considering that Vera is a member of APP (Alliance for Progress). “The APP people say ‘he has nothing to do with us’, but they also said ‘the Minister of Health has nothing to do with us’ and ‘the candidate for Comptroller has nothing to do with us’…” recalls Del Castle. “APP is involved in the government, it is the government party, in the absence of its own party,” he says.
Whether due to cronyism, party quotas or union pressures, there is a quorum in public opinion: it is a serious setback. Ideologically, it is perceived as a return to leftist origins. “But it is a stupid left,” says Del Castillo. “It is a statist and static left. If it were an intelligent left there would be nothing to say,” he says in comparison with countries where state companies are in blue. It is not only a mixture of interests, but above all the incompetence of the president to look for efficient and competent people. “If he doesn’t do it for the cabinet, he won’t do it for state companies.”
In this logic, the statist left is wrong to equate the concept of a ‘strategic company’ with an inefficient company. In any case, strategic would be the resource, but not the company. “But in general oil has lost enormous weight,” questions Del Castillo. “Today, Peru’s electrical energy generation is distributed between hydroelectric and natural gas, which is not managed by Petroperú,” he adds. “And oil itself is in retreat,” especially for a country that produces copper for electric cars. “There are imaginative solutions, public-private alliances… Maintaining this nonsense of a statist vision is maintaining an elephant to get more money from us, it is an obsolete vision of things,” he concludes.
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
“The board chaired by Oliver Stark seemed headed for a restructuring,” says Rospigliosi.
“Stark’s plan was quite plausible and logical,” Flores-Aráoz recalls.
“Talara was enough of a mistake. US$7 billion to process 80 thousand barrels when half is produced,” says Del Castillo.
