The 110 decorated by López Aliaga: the fourth part are controversial figures and militants of Renovación Popular

On October 13, the now presidential candidate, Rafael Lopez Aliagaresigned as mayor of Lima and, in addition to an inoperative train, several unfinished works and a municipality in debt for 20 yearsthe leader of Renovación Popular left a practice that describes his style. In his three years of government, he awarded at least 110 decorations, of which almost a quarter were given to controversial figures, to members of his party and even to servants of the metropolitan commune.

Artificial intelligence

According to official records, In 2023, 16 ceremonies were held with 42 winners, in 2024, 10 presentations were scheduled with 25 winners and until October 13, 2025, 15 activities were carried out with 43 winners. amid applause and words of praise from the then mayor. Most of them received the Lima Medal and a few received the Municipal Order of Merit Medal in the degree of Grand Cross.

WE RECOMMEND YOU

DELIA ESPINOZA FIGHTS BACK AND CRITICAL ELECTIONS | WITHOUT SCRIPT WITH ROSA MARÍA PALACIOS

But were they necessary? “During his mandate, López Aliaga broke a record with these decorations, many of them to questioned figures. That says a lot about how he exercised power.“, responds the metropolitan councilor Ivonne Tapia, who regrets that the delivery of the Lima Medal, the highest recognition granted by the municipality, has been distorted in this management that has been left in the hands of Renzo Reggiardo.

The Municipality of Lima, on repeated occasions since 2023, has specified that tribute was paid to personalities and institutions, whose work has generated a positive impact in the areas of culture, citizen security, health, education, public management and social development. This requirement was met, for example, with the Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa and the boy Benjamín Hinostroza, symbol of the fight against childhood cancer, to name some of the 85 people who stood out for their work.

However, The Republic detected another 25 recipients who draw attention for being investigated, denounced, and questioned figures; as well as for having an ideological affinity with López Aliaga or for being affiliated with his Popular Renovation party or for working as servants in the municipality of Lima.

Those investigated and accused

With only a few days in office, on January 18, 2023, Rafael López Aliaga presented the Lima Medal “for his business career” to the owner of the Willax channel, Erasmus Wongwho faces an investigation for the alleged crime of money laundering. Two months later, on March 8, he did the same with the then Attorney General, Patricia Benavides, who received the distinction despite the fact that the person who gave it to him is accused of alleged money laundering. The judge was dismissed in May 2024 for having interfered in the investigation of her sister Enma. This year he returned to the institution as supreme prosecutor.

On January 7, 2025, the leader of Renovación Popular awarded the Medal of the Order of Municipal Merit in the Degree of Grand Cross to Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani. This activity led to the revelation that, that same month, that in 2019 the Opus Dei religious had been secretly sanctioned by the Catholic Church after being reported of rape. Despite this, López Aliaga supported him and defended his award.

This is the most serious case of the awards, says political scientist José Alejandro Godoy, who explains that, unfortunately, no political tendency is spared from this type of awards to figures close to the ideology of the authorities. “It happened with Susana Villarán and Gustavo Petro when he was mayor of Bogotá, which can be criticized. Now, I believe that, just as happened with Petro, that distinction should be withdrawn from Monsignor Cipriani in any case. for having very serious accusations,” he maintains.

The list also includes the businessman Javier Musiriswho on January 18, 2023 received the Lima Medal, despite the fact that he had a complaint for alleged fraud related to a real estate project, according to a report by Hildrebrandt in his thirteen.

Related to their ideology

This group of those awarded the Lima Medal includes extreme right-wing figures, such as Argentine writer Agustín Laje, who supported López Aliaga’s presidential campaign in 2021. López Aliaga distinguished him in 2023 in the Municipality of Lima and Renovación Popular also did so a year earlier in Congress.

Between 2023 and 2024, López Aliaga also awarded the far-right Eduardo Verástegui, who is a Mexican producer; to the Chilean presidential candidate José Antonio Kastdescribed as a Pinochetist; to Spanish politicians Hermann Tertsch and Rocío Monasterio, linked to the Vox party; as well as the conservative philosopher Alvino-Mario Fantini and the Spanish lawyer Rodrigo Ballester, who is presented as “an academic active in the cultural battle opposing woke culture.”

Among the controversial distinguished figures, the former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, who recently had his 12-year sentence revoked for the crimes of witness tampering and fraud; as well as the former Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso, in whose government there were deaths after the 2022 national strike.

They are joined by the vice president of El Salvador, Félix Ulloa, from the Government of Nayib Bukele; the former congresswoman Luisa María Cuculizawho appears in two vladivideos; the Spanish politician Isabel Díaz, defender of Francisco Pizarro and Hispanicity; former APRA minister José Antonio Chang, who faced a vacancy process as rector of the USMP; and streamer Speed.

Party activists and servants

Also striking is the decorations that López Aliaga gave to four Popular Renewal (RP) activists in a clear conflict of interest, explains political scientist José Alejandro Godoy. And between 2024 and 2025 he awarded the Lima Medal to Julia Colcas Vargas, who is also a member of the board of directors of Serpar, since Luis Rubiopresident of the board of directors of the Solidarity Hospitals. He did the same with Javier Ciprianiwho is a shareholder of EmiLima and who will run for the chamber of deputies; and with Julio Cesar Uribea former World Cup player who had 11 contracts for S/249,000 with the MML, according to Ojo Público.

The list of controversial decorations closes with three community servants (Dalila Flores, Sandy Fiestas and Jaime Hidalgo) who received the Lima Medal for the 489th anniversary of the founding of the city, on January 18, 2024.

But how much was spent on these 110 distinctions? In accordance with service orders of the Municipality of Lima, The medals cost between S/400 and S/500, depending on the year, so we would be talking about an amount close to S/50,000, not counting the municipal bands in the degree of grand cross, the reminders and the diplomas.

“That is why there must be a committee that evaluates these decorations. Unethical practices cannot be used to award their militants,” warns Councilor Tapia. “The municipal council should not renounce its supervisory work to avoid these situations,” Godoy added.

This newspaper requested an interview with the Municipality of Lima so that a spokesperson could explain the policy of decorations and distinctions; However, as of press time there was no response.