Alberto Otárola

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Alberto Otárola
Responde Ministro de Defensa (7027949593).jpg
Minister of Defense
In office
10 December 2011 – 10 May 2012
PresidentOllanta Humala
Prime MinisterOscar Valdes
Preceded byDaniel Mora
Succeeded byJose Antonio Urquizo
Personal details
Born
Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda

(1967-02-12) 12 February 1967 (age 57)
Huaraz, Ancash, Peru
Political partyPeruvian Nationalist Party
Other political
affiliations		Social Force (2011)
Union for Peru (1995)
Alma materUniversity of San Martín de Porres
ProfessionLawyer

Luis Alberto Otárola Peñaranda (born 12 February 1967) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He was Minister of Defense of Peru from 11 December 2011 to 10 May 2012.[1] He is the younger brother of lawyer, notary and former congressman and Congress President Fredy Otárola Peñaranda.

Political career

On 10 December 2011, when the first cabinet of President Ollanta Humala was recomposed, he was appointed Minister of Defense.[2][3]

One of the most critical problems that the Humala government must face is the activity of a terrorist gang that operates in the VRAE zone in complicity with drug trafficking. On 9 April 2012, a terrorist column 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. 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 by terrorists (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. Public opinion reacted adversely and interpreted that the policemen had been left to their fate; For this reason, they demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Daniel Lozada and Defense Minister Alberto Otárola.[4]

On 3 May 2012, the motion of censure against Lozada and Otárola was presented in plenary session of Congress for "incapacity, lack of leadership and strategy." On 10 May, both ministers submitted their irrevocable resignation, in order to avoid censorship in Congress.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Peru ministers resign over Shining Path rebel clashes". BBC News. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Peru this Week - News - Meet Peru's new Ministers". 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Shining Path – not where Humala wants to spend time". Foreign Policy Blogs. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Peor imposible | LaRepublica.pe". 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=Alberto_Otárola&oldid=1105842936"