It is a recurrent and normalized practice in the Congress that after the assumption of a new Board of Directors, the parliamentary groups that were winners, the heads of the most important offices of this institution are distributed to locate their militants or relatives.
And this legislature has not been the exception. The Republic was able to identify that, at least in 16 offices, the congressional coalition made up of Popular Force (FP), Alliance for Progress (APP), Free Peru, Avanza País, Somos Perú and Podemos Perú They have appointed their former congressmen, activists and relatives as leaders. It is true that some have experience in parliamentary dynamics, but the resumes of others reflect that they do not meet a sufficient technical profile.
Keiko Fujimori’s bench He has six people linked to his political group in charge of six important offices.
Former congresswoman Karina Beteta She is the head of the Congressional Editorial Fund. The merits that support the designation do not appear on the website of this institution. In the last two years, this office was in the hands of Fujimori. First with the former legal representative of Fuerza Popular, Milagros Takayama, and now with Beteta, who receives a salary of S/ 19,923.00. Former parliamentarian Milagros Salazar She also earns S/ 17,991.97 as head of the Citizen Participation Office.
The first vice president of the Board of Directors, Patricia Juárez, from Fuerza Popular, has powers over these two offices.
But there are also others directed by people related to this group. The head of the Library Department is former Fujimori congressman Diethell Columbus and the head of the Parliamentary Research Department, is the pediatrician José Francisco Recoba. The salary of each one would exceed S/ 15,000.00.
Columbus has experience. But in the case of Recoba, according to his resume, his career revolves around the practice of medicine. In the 2021 general electionsRecoba was spokesperson for Keiko Fujimori’s health plan.
Other areas have also ended up directed by officials related to FP.
The Fujimori militant, Wilfredo Ponce de León Pandolfiis head of the Citizen Services Area with a salary of S/ 15,985.78. The Convoca.pe portal reported that on December 7, 2017, When the Public Ministry raided the premises of Keiko Fujimori’s party on Paseo Colón, Ponce de León was present, who presented himself as the group’s lawyer. By that year, Ponce de León was head of the Legal Department of Congress.
The new head of the Department of Commissions is the former advisor of the Fujimori congresswoman Rosangella Barbarán, Shirley Montenegror, with a salary of S/ 16,706.83. The Republic has reported that, according to the version of the former treasurer of Fuerza Popular, Luis Mejía Lecca, Montenegro He chose documents from Fujimori Higuchi’s presidential campaign, which were later incinerated in Ana Herz’s house.
In disgusting hands
The allied party of Fujimorism, Alliance for Progress (APP)also took control of congressional addresses and offices. In the previous annual period of sessions, the general director of Administration was the former APEP congresswoman Marisol Espinozawho was replaced by Carlos Luis Pais Vera with a salary of S/ 26,900.48. Espinoza, for her part, has become main advisor to the president of the Board of Directors, Eduardo Salhuana, with a salary of S/ 15,985.78.
Espinoza is not the only former congresswoman with an important position. Last week Congress published the resolution that designates the former fujimorist Alejandra Aramayo as Head of Communications. Aramayo left Fuerza Popular to join the ranks of APP. In the management of Salhuana, Aramayo became part of the trusted personnel module of the Board of Directors with a salary of S/ 15,985.78.
The head of the Human Resources Department is also an APP activist: Haidy Janette Figueroa Valdezwith a salary of S/ 19,919.68. She signed the authorization for former dictator Alberto Fujimori to receive a lifetime pension.
Since the previous period, the head of the Budget Area has been Yolanda Roxana Ríos Mendozaformer general manager and treasurer of APP and former administrator of the César Vallejo University, with a salary of S/ 15,989.20. Ríos was an APP activist until 2021.
In addition to fujimoristas and apepistas, other groups also run key offices.
Cerronism powers
He second vice president of Congress, Waldemar Cerrón, from Perú Librehas powers over the International Cooperation Office and the Scientific Advisory Office.
In the first office the boss is the former Castilla ambassador in Bolivia and former official of the Junín Regional Government, Carina Palacios Quinchowith a salary of S/ 19,923.10 and in the second is the teacher Lizardo Chachi Montes with S/ 19,919.68. Chachi is an educator and doctor in Educational Psychology.
Offices in the hands of the allied groups of the Board of Directors
He third vice president of Congress, Alejandro Cavero, from Avanza Paíshas powers over the Liaison Office with Regional and Local Governments and the Legislative Quality Office.
In this period, the head of the Liaison Office with Regional and Local Governments is Elsa Carmen Vega Fernandez, who was a parliamentarian in the period 2000 – 2001 with the Peru 2000 alliance. Her salary is S/ 19,379.00.
When the third vice president of the MDC was the congresswoman from Avanza País, Rosselli Amuruz, she requested to have powers over the Office of Legislative Quality. Since his administration, the head of that office is Ivan Willy de la Cruz, former advisor to parliamentarian José Williams, with a salary of S/ 19,923.10.
The Somos Perú and Podemos Perú benches do not make up the Board of Directors, but they are part of the block that supported Salhuana’s assumption of the presidency of Congress.
Since the previous annual session, the head of the Center for Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies is the secretary general of Somos Perú, Alejandro Mario Fernandezwith a salary of S/ 19,280.53.
While the former congressional candidate with Podemos Peru in Lima, Shadia Elizabeth Valdez Tejadawas appointed by the current Board of Directors as head of the Information, Translation and Native Language Services Area. Valdez was main advisor to Podemos congressman, José Luna Gálvez, with a salary of S/ 13,085.21.
This newspaper sought to interview her to ask her what experience she has to lead this area, but at the time of writing this article there was no response.
Adding the salaries of all the heads designated for these offices, the budget allocated by Congress per month to them is S/ 307,439.90.
The offices managed by the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Congress is made up of four congressmen: president, first, second and third vice president.
The president of Congress, Eduardo Salhuana, from APP, leads the sessions of the Board of Directors. The other vice presidents have powers over congressional offices.
The first vice president Patricia Juárez, of FP, has powers over the Editorial Fund and the Citizen Participation Office.
The second vice president, Waldemar Cerrón, of Perú Libre, has powers over the International Cooperation Office and the Scientific Advisory Office. In addition, he is in charge of preparing the reports that support the congressmen’s trips abroad.
The third vice president, Alejandro Cavero, from Avanza País, has powers over the Liaison Office with Regional and Municipal Governments and with the Legislative Quality Office.
