HomeNewsBriefPeru Army General Created 620 'Phantom Soldiers'
BRIEF

Peru Army General Created 620 'Phantom Soldiers'

ELITES AND CRIME / 19 SEP 2013 BY NATALIE SOUTHWICK EN

A Peruvian army general has been accused of making up 620 "phantom soldiers" to claim extra funding, an illustration of the endemic corruption that reaches the highest levels of the country's institutions.

General Juan Quintana Briceño, who led the 3rd Brigade of Special Forces of Tarapoto in northern Peru, was taken into preventative custody ahead of his trial for falsely listing the imaginary soldiers as part of his unit in order to pocket their salaries, reported El Comercio.

Meanwhile in a survey last month, 58 percent of Peruvians told Ipsos Perú corruption was the biggest impediment to the country's progress. Another 22 percent blamed inefficiency in state institutions and authorities, reported El Comercio. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said the political sector was more corrupt than any other part of society, and close to 40 percent believe the last two years have seen no progress in reducing corruption among state institutions.

Respondents also cited law enforcement as a major issue, with a total of 91 percent saying Peru's laws are not respected.

InSight Crime Analysis

While corruption is an issue throughout much of Latin America, in Peru it is particularly entrenched right to the highest levels of government and state institutions, as demonstrated by General Juan Quintana's case. Another recent high-profile example is the “pay-for-pardons” scandal engulfing former President Alan Garcia, in which its alleged hundreds of drug traffickers bribed members of his administration to secure release from jail. In the last presidential elections, every major candidate faced some allegations of drug ties.

However, as contradictory as it sounds, there may be a positive side to this. While Peru is now the world’s largest cocaine-producing nation, it has not experienced the high levels of violent crime seen in places such as Colombia and Mexico. One theory is that as criminals do business with politicians and law enforcement unfettered, as well as with each other, they don’t end up resorting to violence. This could even help explain why 78 percent of respondents to the Ipsos said they "tolerated" corruption.

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.

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

ELITES AND CRIME / 17 NOV 2021

At around 11 p.m. on April 6, 2020, Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Solís was returning to the military base he commanded…

ELITES AND CRIME / 3 NOV 2022

The trial of Genaro García Luna, Mexico's public security minister during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, is fast approaching.

ELITES AND CRIME / 15 JUL 2021

In the process of expanding their influence, criminal groups often develop close ties with elites in an effort to gain…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report continues to be a reference in the region

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,…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media

21 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by the Associated Press about connections between the ex-FARC mafia and Brazilian criminal groups, and…