Her name sounded nationally when she was appointed Minister for Women and Vulnerable Populations, with PPK, and legislator in Congress that Martín Vizcarra dissolved. But she was already recognized in the world of SMEs from a very young age and also for promoting entrepreneurs -especially women entrepreneurs- from our country and abroad. Ana María Choquehuanca has always worked. At just 11 years old, she was already doing her first steps in the metalworking shop that her father founded and, at 14, she was in charge of traveling to the branches, in different regions, to help with inventories. In fact, his six siblings and his mother have always supported the dream of Don José Domingo, who, according to his daughter, sowed prestige along with him: “He was an innovative man, very visionary. He said that without studies nothing could be done and he went to university, when he finally could, at the age of 50. We continue on that route. I don’t remember sad moments in our life; With a little and with a lot, we were always good, ”she says very excited.
WOMAN LEADER
The Metal Sur company was the beginning of her life as an entrepreneur, but her father’s indications to grow went further. She not only had to have university studies and work, but also create an association to support women who could be nourished by her experience and knowledge: “Now I’m still at it, from Lima and with more ease because things have changed since 1998… You work with the success of women who have left their homes, women who suffered violence, who earned little as professionals such as nurses or midwives, with elderly women or women with disabilities”, she comments. At the same time, he gradually became one of the voices of small and medium-sized companies in our country, through PYME Peru –an institution he currently chairs– and along the way he traveled for three years supporting women in Colombia, Egypt and Western Sahara, where he worked with refugees in cooperatives dedicated to leather, cous cous and especially looms. In her professional development, she recognizes her husband Ismael as a 100-point father and her sisters for their always support.
POLITICAL WOMAN
One day, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski called her on the phone to invite her to participate in his list for Congress. Although she “seemed like a nice person,” she was not very convinced. She was not a member of any party, nor did she intend to, and yet she did know Mercedes Araoz, with whom she had worked for TLC. A few days later, PPK called her again. “What was she? Are you going or not going?” He told her, so she, laughing, replied: “I’m going!” And she launched into national politics: “I did come to Congress wanting to eat the world. I was the most voted in Arequipa and I wanted to do things for everyone, not just for SMEs. I managed to rank first in legislative production with 17 projects approved”. Although the time was short, due to the closure of Parliament, Choquehuanca raises her voice somewhat annoyed when she talks about the difficulties of today’s congressmen to advance in this political situation. “Congress is for people who want to work, not for people who want to live well. I resent that this Congress, which does not want to leave, because I think it no longer wants to leave, says that it is staying to advance the reforms. And I wonder what they have done during this year and a half if the reforms are left to us. They were inputs that we worked on as a base, something that we advanced with advisers and public money. They haven’t used that though, and will they? Will they make any progress before 2026? ”, She asks herself indignantly after confessing that today she is not thinking about the political field, that from the SME sector she can still do a lot.
SPARKLES
Where do you see the problem of the current crisis?
I think that an error is the decentralization law that Toledo made between roosters and midnight. A law that should not have come out like this, especially when it comes to transferring money to regional and local authorities. The education and health rectory, for example, should not have left the central government, because they are very sensitive issues.
So, should it have been corrected 20 years ago?
This has been escalating through the years and now it has blown up. The truth is that there is no knowledge that it is a management of each region. We have regional presidents and mayors on trial, not all of them, but a large majority, and the public thinks that everything is in the hands of the central government.
Who could get us out of the entrapment?
The Legislature, of course. If you want to work for others, you can, but I don’t know how many congressmen want to do things well. That may be another problem.
And can we talk about terrorism again in our country?
Who burns? A settler with just claims? A Peruvian who wants to destroy his homeland? That is where we have to start thinking. What is happening and who is intervening?
