Lambayeque Governor Jorge Pérez Flores accused Peru's National Water Authority of trying to stage fake river defenses before President Keiko Fujimori visits the region.
The announcement came on Tuesday, August 11, ahead of Fujimori's planned arrival in the northern Lambayeque region to inspect flood prevention measures and coordinate with local officials before anticipated El Niño rains.
Pérez said an official from the National Water Authority, known locally as ANA, contacted him on Monday proposing to move agency machinery to an active construction site in the Rinconazo area of the Tumán district. The regional government is currently carrying out riverbank defense works at the site, and Pérez claimed the agency sought to create the impression of a joint operation during the presidential visit.
The governor urged Fujimori to eliminate institutional deception and remove officials who fail to carry out actual prevention work. Pérez said the president should dismiss staff who attempt to mislead her with staged photo opportunities at river defense projects rather than delivering real results.
Allegations of staged riverbank work
Lambayeque is a coastal region in northwestern Peru that frequently experiences severe flooding during extreme weather events. The National Water Authority is the public body responsible for overseeing river basins, managing water resources, and coordinating flood prevention infrastructure across the country.
Pérez called for dedicated officials within the Ministry of Agricultural Development to handle disaster preparedness. He stated that both the Subsectorial Irrigation Program and the National Water Authority must serve as active drivers of regional prevention efforts.
Critical flood risks across five river basins
Describing the regional situation ahead of the rainy season as critical, Pérez revealed that flood defense projects assigned to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through the National Infrastructure Authority have reached only 15 percent progress across five river basins in Lambayeque. He added that similar reconstruction efforts in the neighboring Piura region have recorded zero progress.
The Presidency of the Council of Ministers leads the Peruvian national cabinet and manages major public works through specialized infrastructure bodies. The El Niño climate pattern periodically brings heavy rainfall to South America's Pacific coast, posing major risks to agricultural land and residential communities in northern Peru.
Demands for staff changes and fuel supplies
Authorities have identified 80 critical river overflow points across five basins in Lambayeque, which Pérez warned could leave more than 150,000 people displaced or affected if rivers breach their banks. The regional government is directly intervening at seven of those locations, while municipal authorities hold responsibility for the remainder.
To operate machinery already purchased and distributed to local municipal governments, Pérez requested approximately 900,000 gallons of fuel to complete necessary riverbank reinforcement work before heavy rainfall begins.
