Peru: MP Ernesto Zunini Rejects Delay in Censorship Motion Against Interior Minister
Juntos por el Perú lawmaker Ernesto Zunini has rejected statements from Ahora Nación congressman and former Diviac chief Harvey Colchado regarding the political continuity of Interior Minister César Astudillo. Zunini argued that defending the minister to protect the National Police of Peru fails to match reality, asserting that the executive branch has pursued no genuine police reform and has instead offered only desk-level shuffling of generals.
Parliamentary Showdown Over Interior Minister Censorship
The legislative clash centers on a formal censure motion against Interior Minister César Astudillo presented on September 24, 2026. The petition accuses the cabinet member of manifest incapacity in sector management and cites an escalation of lethal violence across the country. Lawmakers backing the motion point to continuous daily killings, maintaining that Astudillo’s tenure is completely untenable given the unchecked rise of organized crime.
Pushing back against immediate removal, Harvey Colchado published an open letter on September 27, 2026, urging colleagues to vote against the swift ouster of the minister. Colchado claimed that a sudden censure could open the Ministry of Interior to factions looking to bury police reform altogether. Instead of an immediate dismissal, his proposal recommended evaluating the sector through five technical indicators before deciding on his removal in December.
Zunini Challenges Delay Tactics Amid Daily Violence
Ernesto Zunini dismissed the proposed waiting period, emphasizing that mounting public security demands leave no room for government grace periods. Addressing reporters, Zunini highlighted the grim human cost of ongoing crime.
“We continue having seven or eight murders daily,” Zunini said, questioning attempts to shield the minister from parliamentary censure by relying on internal bureaucratic processes that have yielded no tangible public protection.
Legislative Arithmetic and Opposition Stance
Analí Márquez, a congresswoman representing Juntos por el Perú, addressed the open letter by noting that her faction respects individual opinions within the broader opposition. However, Márquez stressed that the primary focus must remain on national safety and securing concrete legislative numbers.
“We are very perseverant in this situation because of the increase in criminality, and I am sure that Ahora Nación is going to be part of it,” Márquez stated.
Márquez confirmed that her alliance aims to gather the 66 required votes alongside Obras y Buen Gobierno to guarantee the successful passage of the censure motion. Negotiations with Ahora Nación continue as lawmakers work to finalize the voting blocks needed to compel a change in leadership at the Ministry of Interior.