Peruvian lawmakers have formally moved to question Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde Llosa regarding his past campaign ties to a major mining executive and the ongoing military operations in the northern province of Pataz. Members of the Juntos por el Perú parliamentary group filed an official interpellatory motion requiring the cabinet minister to answer 43 specific questions before the full Congress, focusing heavily on transparency, campaign financing, and security protocols in a mineral-rich region battered by violent crime.
The legislative challenge centers on financial contributions made during the 2026 general election cycle. According to financial records submitted to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Evangelina Arias Vargas de Sologuren—chairwoman of the board of Compañía Minera Poderosa—made eight separate monetary donations to the Libertad Popular party, which ran Belaúnde Llosa as its presidential candidate. While congressional sponsors acknowledge that the campaign contributions complied with existing electoral regulations, they argue that his subsequent appointment to lead the Ministry of Defense creates a profound ethical dilemma and potential conflict of interest, given that his portfolio oversees the planning and execution of military strategies directly affecting the company’s operational territory.
Parliamentary Scrutiny Over Security Deployments in Pataz
The 43-question inquiry targets the exact nature of military deployments in Pataz, located within the La Libertad department. Lawmakers are demanding that Belaúnde Llosa clarify whether armed forces personnel are stationed to guard private infrastructure, including company facilities, camps, processing plants, and access routes belonging to Minera Poderosa. The motion asks the defense chief to disclose the specific legal frameworks authorizing such deployments and to state whether the ministry has signed formal agreements or coordination protocols with corporate stakeholders.
Furthermore, the legislative document presses the Ministry of Defense on resource allocation, asking exactly how many soldiers are deployed to protect civilian residents compared to the number assigned to secure mining installations. Critics point out that despite persistent states of emergency and the permanent presence of both the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the armed forces, Pataz continues to suffer from high levels of violent crime, including homicides, extortion rings, and targeted attacks. Legislative sponsors highlighted high-casualty incidents, noting the kidnapping and murder of 13 workers in May 2025 and of 9 workers in 2023. Lawmakers want to know what objective benchmarks demonstrate the efficacy of these military interventions and why the ministry has withheld independent technical evaluations from Congress.
International Human Rights Concerns and Broader Defense Policies
Beyond local security arrangements in La Libertad, the interpellatory motion broadens its scope to international human rights standards and national defense initiatives. The document invokes recent advisories from the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which voiced concern over Peru’s frequent reliance on states of emergency and military deployments. The UN body has repeatedly advised Lima to limit such exceptional measures to strict necessity, proportionality, and temporary timeframes subject to judicial review.
The parliamentary questionnaire also demands answers regarding official cooperation with rural self-defense patrols, known as rondas campesinas, which deputies describe as vital grassroots actors in local crime prevention. Additional inquiries focus on the multinational military exercise “Escudo de las Américas,” questioning the potential implications for national sovereignty if foreign forces operate on Peruvian soil. Finally, the motion addresses military demining operations in the Pampas de Reque area of Lambayeque, designated as the site for an upcoming mass led by Pope Leo XIV.
Congress must now debate and vote on whether to admit the motion to the plenary agenda, which would compel Minister Belaúnde Llosa to appear before the legislature to respond to the 43 inquiries under formal questioning. Further updates regarding the congressional schedule and the Ministry of Defense’s official response are expected as parliamentary sessions resume.
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