HomeNewsBriefConvicted Drug Traffickers, Terrorists Among Peru Election Candidates
BRIEF

Convicted Drug Traffickers, Terrorists Among Peru Election Candidates

PERU / 14 AUG 2014 BY KYRA GURNEY EN

At least 345 political candidates in Peru have been convicted of a crime, including drug trafficking and terrorism, indicating a culture of impunity among the country's political elite and raising serious questions about electoral standards.

According to Francisco Tavara, the president of Peru's national electoral authority (JNE), the most common convictions were for failing to pay child support, reported El Comercio. Some of the crimes were more serious, however. Three of the candidates for the October 5 elections have been convicted for drug trafficking, three for terrorism, three for rape, and three for kidnapping.

None of the candidates who have been convicted for drug trafficking admitted to their criminal history in their sworn declarations, reported La Republica. Tavara stated that these candidates would be referred to the electoral juries, who would prevent them from participating in the upcoming elections.

In addition to these three candidates, the current mayor of the Cochorcos district in the northeastern province La Libertad -- Julio Cesar Diaz Carrasco -- has been convicted for drug trafficking and plans to run for reelection.

InSight Crime Analysis

The number of candidates with criminal records highlights a serious problem with corruption and criminal ties within Peruvian politics. Three of the country's recent presidents have been implicated in criminal activity, including former President Alan Garcia, who has been investigated for allegedly participating in a pay-for-pardons scheme. Last year, three governors, five members of Congress, and 11 mayors were investigated for drug trafficking, and according to the Anti-Corruption Attorney General's Office an estimated 92 percent of the country's mayors are currently under investigation for corruption.  

SEE ALSO: Peru News and Profiles

The current batch of candidates appears to be particularly problematic. Just last week, Interior Minister Daniel Urresti, who is himself currently facing a murder investigation, stated that 115 candidates in the upcoming elections have been linked to drug trafficking cases.

The fact that candidates who have been convicted of drug trafficking, terrorism, rape and kidnapping managed to make it past the sworn declarations stage of the electoral process indicates that the country lacks effective mechanisms for weeding criminals out of its electoral system. It also points to a belief on the part of the candidates that electoral authorities either would not realize they had criminal records or would not prevent them from running for office, which are both troubling indications of a widespread culture of impunity. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Tags

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COVID AND CRIME / 23 JUN 2021

As Peru reels from having the worst COVID-19 caseload in the world, criminals are extorting the families of patients in…

ARGENTINA / 8 FEB 2023

InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean.

BOLIVIA / 8 NOV 2022

The Amazon is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, where wildlife trafficking threatens hundreds of thousands of species.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…