Peruvian lawmakers Analí Márquez and Catherin Palomino submitted two legislative proposals to repeal a mandatory two-year term for National Police General Commander Óscar Arriola.
The bills target Article 8 of Legislative Decree 1267, which currently prevents the government from removing the chief of the National Police of Peru before completing two years in office.
Márquez and Palomino, deputies for the Juntos por el Perú party led by Roberto Sánchez, submitted the proposals to the National Defense and Internal Order Commission of the Lower House for debate.
Both legislative initiatives contend that the existing law is excessively rigid. The authors argued that the mandatory two-year period creates an immovability that protects a general commander even after they lose fitness for office, without requiring a crime, severe infraction, or physical incapacity.
In a video statement presenting her bill, Palomino said extortion and crime were increasing daily without significant changes from police leaders, adding that the institution needed competent commanders who deliver results.
Legislative Decree 1267 serves as Peru's primary police framework law, setting organizational structures and tenure rules for the National Police of Peru. Under Peruvian law, congressional legislative commissions review proposed statutory amendments before submitting them to the full chamber for a vote.
Widespread Calls for Leadership Change
Demands for Arriola to step down as general commander have expanded across multiple caucuses in the Lower House of Congress.
Diego Bazán, a deputy representing the Renovación Popular party, stated that he agreed with Palomino's initiative. Bazán noted that he was critical of General Arriola, personally supported the proposed reform, and had drafted a separate bill with the same objective.
The parliamentary group Ahora Nación also called for Arriola's dismissal following a violent attack in Trujillo that left four people dead and one person kidnapped.
In an official statement, Ahora Nación declared that Peru could not remain governed by fear and affirmed that Congress would demand security results that no authority was currently delivering.
Trujillo, a major commercial city in northwestern Peru, has faced a severe wave of violent crime, extortion, and illegal mining conflicts, placing local security operations under intense public scrutiny.
Demands for Immediate Action
Renovación Popular joined the calls for Arriola's removal, stating that the general commander had failed to prove he was equal to the demands of his post.
In a formal statement, the party demanded Arriola's immediate resignation and called on the central government to take swift action to restore public order and guarantee safety across Peru.
