The Minister of Health, Hernán Condori, will be censured by Congress if the announcements made by various parliamentarians come to fruition, despite his attempts to numb the rejections in Fujimori and other stores of the conservative right. In this effort, the questioned minister has made use of a pragmatism developed in his own political experience.
The 33 congressmen who signed the motion of censure promoted by legislator Diego Bazán, from Avanza País, would be joined by the other six parliamentarians from Renovación Popular, the 24 from Fuerza Popular and eight more from Alianza para el Progreso (APP), according to the latest ads. If this is fulfilled, they would reach 71 votes for censure, which exceeds the minimum of 66 to be able to remove Condori from office.
This situation worries the minister again, as when the high vote was given in Congress to start the vacancy process against President Pedro Castillo. Already then, with his colleagues from Peru Libre, the political party that he founded with Vladimir Cerrón, they ratified that they had to “neutralize the right” in some way.
‘People’s doctor’
Condori, a doctor who was born in Cusco, studied in Lima and practiced his profession in Junín, has faced a string of questions since he was appointed minister. To reduce this risk, he resorted to maneuvers from his experience in Peru Libre, an organization in which he joined since it emerged as a regional movement.
“Strength born of the people” is a motto and identity idea of the perulibristas that fits with his career as a doctor in a remote area of Junín, in the district of Perené, in Chanchamayo, but the ‘realpolitik’, politics based on the facts with its feet on the ground, it marks the pragmatic trend.
“He does not hide, he shows his face, but he is not stupid either, he knows what he has to give, if necessary, to get support and reduce rejections,” says a government collaborator.
Condori then decided to resort to established relationships with those sectors that threatened his future. Since February, with his collaborators, they had approached leaders of the conservative right, such as Pastor José Luis Linares, of the Pro-Life Pro-Family Movement, and some Fujimori congressmen.
The hiring of Elías Steck, former Popular Force candidate for alderman and remembered ‘fujitroll’ in the Ministry, was part of this effort by Condori.
When, more than a month ago, an attempt was made in Congress to censor him without first going through an interpellation, the minister had already considered playing that card.
In the Ministry, it was indicated that possibly the holder of the portfolio would give a conference to announce an understanding with self-proclaimed ‘pro-life’ organizations, according to what this newspaper learned. In the end, there was no conference nor was the press called because in Parliament it was agreed not to go for direct censorship, but to question.
Weeks later, given the advance of the intention to vacate Castillo shortly before the questioning of Condori, he and his entourage agreed to further promote their rapprochement with those right-wing sectors with which the hard wing of Peru Libre shares some conservative ideas.
A special mention to some representative figure or initiative of that sector, in the minister’s speech when presenting himself to Congress, was seen as a good option. Alejandro Aguinaga, congressman for Fuerza Popular and former Minister of Health of Alberto Fujimori, was the reference chosen for this nod. On the other hand, the conservative leadership would do the same to include Renovación Popular.
After answering the questions of the interpellation, the spokesman for Renovación, parliamentarian Jorge Montoya, once a harsh critic of Condori and the Government, was also disconcerting when announcing that his bench “considers that we are going to give a month to verify the actions that the minister has presented, verify its veracity and after that make a decision”. “He has been partly satisfied with the responses,” he argued.
But now the Fujimori legislator Martha Moyano assures that her group will vote for censorship and Montoya signed the motion. With APP adding them as well, Condori foresees the fall.
Cerron’s hand
Condori, close to Cerrón, is the most visible part of Peru Libre in this cabinet. He was an official of the management of that in the Regional Government of Junín as executive director of the Health Network of Chanchamayo and with the also perulibrista Fernando Orihuela he became regional director of Health of Junín for six days. He previously ran for mayor of Perené, first with the Alianza Revolucionaria Integratista Moralizadora movement, in 2006, and then with Peru Libre, in 2014.
In the ministry, Condori appointed Jorge López Peña as deputy minister, who previously directed the Daniel Alcides Carrión Hospital in Huancayo, under the regional management of Peru Libre. In addition, he appointed Juan Delgado Echevarría as chief adviser, who since last year has been meeting with figures from Peru Libre, such as Guido Bellido, and even Vice President Dina Boluarte.
Steck’s presence, then, reinforced the perception of a fujicerronismo. In the ministry, a conservative turn against the advanced was feared. Now, another scenario is taking shape.
Infographic – The Republic
