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Alberto Otárola

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Otárola and the second or maternal family name is Peñaranda.

Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda (born 12 February 1967) is a Peruvian attorney and politician who was the Prime Minister of Peru from 2022 until his resignation in 2024. He previously served as Minister of Defense twice, under Ollanta Humala and Dina Boluarte.

Alberto Otárola
Prime Minister of Peru
In office
21 December 2022 – 5 March 2024[1]
PresidentDina Boluarte
Preceded byPedro Angulo Arana
Succeeded byGustavo Adrianzén
Minister of Defense
In office
10 December 2022 – 21 December 2022
PresidentDina Boluarte
Prime MinisterPedro Angulo Arana
Preceded byGustavo Bobbio
Succeeded byJorge Chávez Cresta
In office
11 December 2011 – 14 May 2012
PresidentOllanta Humala
Prime MinisterOscar Valdes
Preceded byDaniel Mora
Succeeded byJosé Antonio Urquizo
Personal details
Born
Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda

(1967-02-12) 12 February 1967 (age 57)
Huaraz, Áncash, Peru
Political partyIndependent (until 2020, 2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		Peruvian Nationalist Party (2020–2021)
Alma materUniversity of San Martín de Porres (LLB)
ProfessionLawyer
NicknameEl Carnicero[2][3]

During the Boluarte government, two massacres occurred under his leadership; the Ayacucho massacre while he was defense minister and the Juliaca massacre after he was promoted to the prime minister position. Attorney General of Peru Patricia Benavides announced investigations on 10 January 2023 for the alleged crimes of genocide, aggravated homicide and serious injuries against President Boluarte, along with Prime Minister Otárola.[4]

Dina Boluarte asked for his resignation due to the dissemination of audio leaks in which it appeared that Otárola took advantage of his position to harass women, to whom he offered them jobs in the State.[5]

Political career

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Presidency of Ollanta Humala

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Minister of Defense (2011–2012)

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On 10 December 2011, when the first cabinet of President Ollanta Humala was recomposed, he was appointed Minister of Defense.[6][7]

One of the most critical problems that the Humala government must face is the activity of a gang that operates in the VRAE zone in complicity with drug trafficking. On 9 April 2012, an armed group kidnapped 36 TGP (Transportadora de Gas del Perú) workers in the town of Kepashiato, in the Echarate district of the La Convencion province of the Cusco department. In response, the government launched the so-called "Operation Freedom", which deployed combined military and police forces to the area.[citation needed]

According to the official version, the hostages were released due to pressure from the armed forces (14 April). However, the operation left eight personnel dead and several wounded; even so, it was officially said that it was a "flawless operation." But what most outraged public opinion was the fact that three Dinoes policemen were left to their fate in the jungle after getting off the helicopter that was transporting them, at which time they were attacked on 12 April. One of them, Lander Tamani, was killed in combat. The other two were declared missing. Seventeen days later, one of them, Luis Astuquillca, appeared alive, arriving by his own means in the town of Kiteni, despite being wounded in the leg; while the other, César Vilca, was found dead by his father, after he entered the rugged region on his own, counting only on the support of the locals. Despite this, the Ministry of the Interior issued a statement informing of the appearance of Vilca's body thanks to an intense search by the police.[citation needed]

Public opinion reacted adversely and interpreted that the policemen had been left to their fate; for this reason, they demanded the resignation of Otárola and the Minister of Interior, Daniel Lozada.[8]

On 3 May 2012, the motion of censure against Otárola and Lozada was presented in plenary session of Congress for "incapacity, lack of leadership and strategy." On 10 May, both ministers submitted their resignations, in order to avoid censorship in Congress.[9] Their resignations were accepted by president Humala on 14 May 2012.[citation needed]

Drug control activities

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Between 2014 and 2016, Otárola was the director of DEVIDA, the Peruvian government's drug control administration.[10] In April 2016, Otárola was elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council[11] as one of the 13 members of the International Narcotics Control Board, an independent treaty body attached to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. His five-year term mandate began on 2 March 2017 and expired on 1 March 2022.[12]

Otárola attempted a political comeback as Ollanta Humala's second running mate and a Nationalist Party congressional candidate at the 2021 general election, although his ticket placed tenth in the election and was not successful in his run for the Peruvian Congress. At the time, he called for a new constitution, saying that the Constitution of Peru was "Fujimorist Constitution", though he would later support the constitution while serving in the Boluarte government.[13]

Presidency of Dina Boluarte

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Minister of Defense (2022)

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Further information: Ayacucho massacre

Following Pedro Castillo's removal from the Peruvian presidency, Dina Boluarte appointed Otárola to the cabinet as Minister of Defense, on 10 December 2022. On 15 December 2022, the Peruvian Army in Ayacucho massacred[14] protesters demonstrating against the Boluarte government. During the protests, the situation intensified when the military deployed helicopters to fire at protesters, who later tried to take over the city's airport, which was defended by the Peruvian Army and the National Police of Peru.[15][16] Troops responded by firing live ammunition at protesters, resulting in ten dead and 61 injured;[17] 90% of the injured had gunshot wounds while those killed were shot in the head or torso.[18][19] The founder of the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF), forensic anthropologist Carmen Rosa Cardoza, analysed evidence surrounding those who were killed, saying that the military was shooting to kill and that the gunshot wounds in the head and torso were consistent with wounds suffered during human rights violations, explaining that wounds during an armed conflict are usually found on the extremities.[20]

Sources close to President Boluarte, according to La Republica, reported that she wanted to resign from the presidency following the massacre, though Otárola convinced her that if she were to resign, her and other ministers would lose their immunity and possibly be prosecuted for crimes.[21][22] Otárola then promised to Boluarte that he could build support for her from the Peruvian Armed Forces and right-wing groups according to La Republica.[21] Boluarte would then make Otárola her prime minister on 21 December 2022.[23]

Premiership (2022–2024)

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Less than two weeks into Boluarte's presidency, on 21 December 2022, she appointed Otárola as prime minister, succeeding Pedro Angulo Arana. Following the Juliaca massacre where 18 civilians were killed and over 100 were injured by the Peruvian National Police, Otárola responded to the deaths stating those killed "express a direct responsibility of those who want to carry out a coup d'état in the country" and blamed imprisoned former president Pedro Castillo for the deaths.[24] Wayka criticized Otárola's response, noting that during the 2020 Peruvian protests when two protesters were killed in Lima, Otárola condemned the response of authorities, stating "Arbitrary arrests and pure, hard repression are taking place against legitimate citizen protest".[25] Attorney General of Peru Patricia Benavides announced investigations on 10 January 2023 for the alleged crimes of genocide, aggravated homicide and serious injuries against President Boluarte, along with Prime Minister Otárola, Minister of the Interior Víctor Rojas and Minister of Defense Jorge Chávez.[4]

When the National University of San Marcos was raided by the Peruvian National Police on 12 January 2023, Otárola said that the actions and arrests of 200 people was justified since the university requested assistance,[26] though the university's rector denied that she was aware of any police operation.[27]

On 5 March 2024, Otarola resigned after the television program Panorama released recordings of his alleged conversations with a 25-year old woman named Yazire Pinedo, who had landed two contracts with a total worth of $14,000 to do archive and administrative work for the government. One of the recordings was said to have showed Otarola referring to Pinedo as "my love". However, in his resignation statement, he denied allegations of wrongdoing. Pinedo said the leaked conversations dated back from before Otarola's premiership in 2021, but acknowledged that she had a brief "perhaps sentimental relationship" with him.[28]

Electoral history

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Year Office Type Party Main opponent Party Votes for Otárola Result Swing
Total % P. ±%
1989 Miraflores District Councilman Municipal Left Socialist Accord Enrique del Campo Hohagen Democratic Front 1,277 (List) 1.86% 4th N/A Lost N/A[29]
1995 Congressman (Nation-wide) General Union for Peru José Daniel Chuan Cabrera Change 90 - New Majority 629 14.00% 2nd N/A Lost N/A[30]
2011 Congressman from Lima General Decentralist Social Force Party Luisa María Cuculiza Force 2011 694 0.79% 9th N/A Lost N/A[31]
2021 Congressman from Lima General Peruvian Nationalist Party Yorry Wharton Cortez Popular Renewal 1,197 0.80% 15th N/A Lost N/A[32]
2021 Second Vice President of Peru General Peruvian Nationalist Party Vladimir Cerrón Free Peru 230,831 1.60% 13th N/A Lost N/A[33]

References

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  1. ^ "Alberto Otárola deja el Ejecutivo: Canciller adelanta que próximo Gabinete espera obtener confianza y una "segunda oportunidad"" (in Spanish).
  2. ^ Chillitupa, Por Rodrigo (6 April 2023). "Ciudadanos de Satipo llaman "carnicero" al primer ministro Alberto Otárola". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Vicente Romero le dice adiós al gabinete: todo sobre la aprobación de su censura en el Congreso". Diario Expreso. Lima. 15 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Fiscalía investigará a Dina Boluarte y a Alberto Otárola por genocidio". La Republica (in Spanish). 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ Vega, Renzo Gómez (5 March 2024). "Crece la presión para que el primer ministro peruano renuncie por los audios que lo implican en un presunto caso de acoso". El País América (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Peru this Week - News - Meet Peru's new Ministers". 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Shining Path – not where Humala wants to spend time". Foreign Policy Blogs. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Peor imposible | LaRepublica.pe". 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Peru ministers resign over Shining Path rebel clashes". BBC News. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  10. ^ ECOSOC Secretariat (2014). High Level Panel discussion: "Sustainable Development and the World Drug Problem: Challenges and Opportunities" (ECOSOC Chamber, Tuesday, 15 July 2014, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm) (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ^ ECOSOC (2016). Decision 2016/201 D. Elections, nominations, confirmations and appointments to subsidiary and related bodies of the Economic and Social Council (PDF). New York: United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda". INCB. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ^ Meza, Sebastian. "El día que Alberto Otárola llamó "Constitución fujimorista" a la carta magna del 93 y pidió su cambio". La Republica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  14. ^  • Vega, Renzo Gómez (16 December 2022). "La represión de las protestas y los bloqueos de carreteras causan 20 muertos en Perú". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2022. La masacre sucedió en los alrededores del aeropuerto Alfredo Mendívil Duarte
  15. ^ "Perú: Se eleva a 18 las víctimas fatales de la represión en manifestaciones tras masacre de militares en Ayacucho". Resumen (in Spanish). 16 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  16. ^ Rivas, Alba (24 December 2022). "El violento retorno del duelo en Ayacucho: las heridas se reabren en las víctimas del terrorismo". Ojo Público (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Ayacucho: Fiscalía abre investigación a 2 generales por 10 muertos en protestas". La Republica (in Spanish). 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  18. ^ "90% de heridos en enfrentamientos en Ayacucho son por perdigones e impactos de bala". infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Guido Bellido propone beneficio económico para deudos de fallecidos en protestas". infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  20. ^ "Ayacucho: sí hubo un patrón, les dispararon a matar". La Republica (in Spanish). 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Dina Boluarte quiso renunciar tras primeros fallecidos, pero Otárola la convenció de quedarse". La Republica (in Spanish). 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Dina Boluarte: de la izquierda radical a la colusión con la derecha y las Fuerzas Armadas". La Republica (in Spanish). 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Peru's new president reshuffles cabinet as Mexico ties tested". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Alberto Otárola sobre fallecidos en Juliaca: "Estamos viviendo una resaca del golpe de Estado"". La Republica (in Spanish). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Què tal cambio Otárola!". Wayka. 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Otárola justifica violenta intervención en San Marcos: "Se hizo a solicitud de la casa de estudios"". La Republica (in Spanish). 21 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Gustavo Petro critica irrupción de PNP en San Marcos y Otárola responde: "Ocúpese de sus asuntos"". La Republica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Peru's Prime Minister Otarola resigns over allegations of influence-peddling". France 24. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  29. ^ ""ELECCIONES MUNICIPALES 1989 - DISTRITAL"". Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  30. ^ ""ELECCIONES GENERALES 1995 - CONGRESAL"". Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  31. ^ ""ELECCIONES GENERALES 2011 - CONGRESAL"". Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  32. ^ ""ELECCIONES GENERALES 2021 - CONGRESAL"". Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  33. ^ ""ELECCIONES GENERALES 2021 - PRESIDENCIAL"". Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Peru
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
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