Peruvian lawmaker Harvey Colchado has demanded the immediate removal of National Police chief General Oscar Arriola during a party press conference in Lima.
Colchado, a deputy for the Ahora Nacion party and former head of the police High Complexity Crime Investigation Division, stated that Arriola has failed to contain a wave of crime and extortion across the country.
Speaking at the event, Colchado noted that extortion has not decreased at any point and argued that citizens currently lack an adequate security strategy from law enforcement leadership. He urged Arriola to resign from his post immediately.
Colchado also directed comments to Interior Minister Cesar Astudillo, warning him not to be deceived about the situation. He urged Astudillo to personally visit frontline units, including the Extortion Investigation Division and local police offices in high-crime districts.
Specifically, Colchado pointed to the Criminal Investigation Department in San Juan de Lurigancho, which records the highest number of murders in the capital, and the department in Comas, which handles the largest volume of extortion complaints.
Police Resource Deficit
The lawmaker criticized a severe lack of technology and budgetary resources within the police force, calling the deficit direct proof of Arriola's ineptitude in managing the institution.
Colchado questioned whether non-commissioned officers and lieutenants have even a single sol, Peru's official currency, to pay informants, operate surveillance vehicles, or acquire video cameras to record criminals. He stated that officers lack these basic tools and placed full blame on the police chief for failing to order necessary equipment purchases.
Possible Congressional Interpellation
The Ahora Nacion parliamentary block is currently evaluating whether to promote a formal interpellation of Interior Minister Cesar Astudillo before Congress over the rising security crisis.
Party spokesperson Cesar Holguin explained that lawmakers have initially chosen to demand urgent answers from the executive branch regarding anti-crime measures before initiating formal congressional questioning.
Holguin warned that summoning Minister Astudillo to face the full assembly will depend on whether concrete results in crime reduction are achieved. He emphasized that defining a clear government security strategy remains the immediate priority before formally pursuing political control mechanisms.
Tensions Over Transport Safety
The warnings from lawmakers follow Minister Astudillo's public reaffirmation of support for Arriola's leadership of the police. Astudillo had claimed that homicide numbers were decreasing, speaking shortly after the murder of a driver working for the Vipusa transport company.
Representatives from the transport sector attended the Ahora Nacion press conference to highlight ongoing extortion and violence against transit workers. Holguin stressed that addressing the demands of transport workers is an urgent priority shared by both senators and deputies within the party.
