The takeover of power has been completed. Despite being protected by law, Attorney General Delia Espinoza was not reinstated as Attorney General, and the Congress of the Republic barred her from holding public office for ten years. The public is outraged, as Espinoza represents the rule of law, which has now been captured by authoritarianism.
The main reason given for Espinoza’s disqualification was her disregard for Law 3210, which granted the National Police the power to conduct preliminary investigations of crimes (a function of the Attorney General’s Office). However, another motivation appears to be her opposition to the reinstatement of Patricia Benavides as Attorney General (who had been removed due to serious accusations).
With the further postponement of her appointment as Attorney General and the disqualification of Delia Espinoza from holding public office, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is left vulnerable to the influence of controversial figures linked to the “White Collars” corruption network. Even worse, one of the last remaining bastions of democratic institutions in the country is lost.
The decision to disqualify Espinoza was voted on in the Congress of the Republic by the political parties Fuerza Popular (Keiko Fujimori), Alianza para el Progreso (César Acuña), Podemos Perú, Perú Libre, Renovación Popular, Somos Perú, Acción Popular, Avanza País, Honor y Democracia, and independent members. As on previous occasions, they voted as a bloc, with 71 votes in favor, 19 against, and three abstentions.
Marches Announced.
Representatives of pro-democracy and anti-corruption groups protested the measure, denouncing that “those under investigation are disqualifying the prosecutor who was investigating them for 10 years” and stated that “they will not forget which parties are attacking national institutions.”
Groups like Generation Z, Bloque Callao, and others have been developing campaigns to “clean up” Peruvian politics, with messages such as #PorEstosNo (Not These Ones) (not voting for parties that have harmed the country with pro-crime laws). “Today, more than ever, we need each other, support, and backing in the face of so much injustice in our country. I am filled with powerlessness by so much irregularity… Peruvians united will never be defeated. Let’s fight for our rights,” and they announced new marches in support of prosecutor Delia Espinoza.
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