Lima, December 5 (EFE). – Peruvian presidential candidate Rafael Belaúnde, who was shot dead last Tuesday in an incident apparently related to his business activities, warns that it is “very likely” that the violence will worsen to a more serious level, as seen in other countries on the continent, if organized crime continues to increase, for which he blamed a series of regulations popularly known as “pro-crime” adopted by Congress.
Belaúnde, who will run for the right-wing liberal party Libertad Popular in the presidential election, claimed in an interview with EFE to have experienced first-hand what millions of Peruvians are going through, for whom insecurity amid the increase in extortions and murders has become their biggest concern ahead of the 2026 elections.
“This is an endemic evil in Peru, and as long as the state does not strengthen the police and repeal the absurd laws that have encouraged crime, we, the citizens, will have to find ways to defend ourselves,” said the businessman-turned-politician, grandson of two-time Peruvian President Fernando Belaúnde Terry (1963-1968 and 1980-1985).
The presidential candidate was attacked by men on a motorcycle as he used his private vehicle to visit a property in a beachfront neighborhood south of Lima where he planned to carry out a real estate project, leaving with only a few scratches.
“The spread of illegal economies is directly linked to political actions because of this Congress and the apathy of (ousted President) Dina Boluarte (2022-2025),” Belaúnde said.
“The current Congress has enacted laws in favor of crime and criminal organizations, with laws that are very clear when it comes to preventing crackdowns and excluding criminal persons from the crime of a criminal organization, such as extortion, illegal logging, serious fraud, and falsification and manipulation of statutes of limitations, leading to greater corruption,” he added.
Added to this, according to the candidate, is the recent expansion of the Register of Informal Miners (Reinfo), approved on Thursday, which, according to Beláunde, has led to the spread of illegal mining and “prompted the entry of numerous criminal organizations” at a time when the international price of gold is at all-time highs.
“It promotes an environment of illegality and violence and creates a black market in explosives. They have blown up houses with these explosives. There is money that goes into politics and money that goes into construction,” the candidate emphasized.
If he became president, Belaúnde promised that he would repeal these so-called “pro-crime” laws, since “the fight against corruption and violence in Peru involves repealing laws more than passing new ones.”
“We must repeal all the ‘pro-crime’ laws passed in the last five years. That is the first step and then we must strengthen the police. Peru already had a special intelligence group that successfully fought terrorism,” he recalled.
The candidate stressed that all the country needs is to ensure security, because without this “one will not be able to attract investments, which Peru needs in large quantities to grow, create jobs and have a state that puts its measures in favor of integration and inclusion.”
“It’s no use building a bridge or a road or setting up a (medical) post if people can’t start businesses, can’t work to live, or if the fruits of their labor have to be given to an extortionist. That’s the starting point,” he concluded.
Lima, December 5 (EFE). – Rafael Belaúnde, the Peruvian presidential candidate who was the victim of an attack on Tuesday when he was shot in an attack related to his business activities, assured that he would strengthen his personal security and pay for it himself, without requesting special protection from the state, distinguishing himself from the other candidates.
“How many Peruvians are victims of this situation? The bodega owner (neighborhood shopkeeper), the transporter, the micro-entrepreneur or the street vendor should be protected from the politician,” said the candidate of the right-wing liberal party Libertad Popular in an interview with EFE about the increase in extortions and murders by organized crime in Peru.
“I understand that the State Security will provide security assistance to the candidates from December 23. That seems fine to me, but I will not ask for anything extraordinary or different,” said Belaúnde, grandson of two-time President Fernando Belaúnde Terry (1963-1968 and 1980-1985).
The businessman and current candidate will not reinforce his security with public funds, although the president of the National Electoral Jury (JNE), Roberto Burneo, has indicated that he is considering providing all candidates with bulletproof vests.
“I am convinced that in a situation like the one we are experiencing in Peru, personal security must be a matter where you take control of your own security,” said the presidential candidate of the right-wing liberal party Libertad Popular.
Belaúnde was shot dead by men on a motorcycle as he visited a property in Cerro Azul, a beachfront neighborhood south of Lima, where his company planned to carry out a real estate project. The candidate, who was traveling alone, managed to dodge the bullets, jump out of his car and fire his personal weapon at the attackers.
“As I pulled the vehicle to the left so as not to put myself in such a frontal position (to the attackers), I opened the door and jumped in. Then I fired the gun,” said Belaúnde, recalling the incident with some cuts on his face.
Four bullets hit the windshield of the car, three of them in the driver’s area, an event that could have cost him his life and that the candidate wants to put an end to. “My philosophy is to look forward and that has already happened without any serious harm other than material damage,” he said.
To skeptics who speculated that it was an incident aimed at boosting his popularity as a presidential candidate, Belaúnde responded that up to seven bullet casings from his personal weapon and as many from the attackers were actually collected.
Although he had not personally received any threats, he acknowledged that it was difficult to decipher the attackers’ intentions, suspecting that it might even be an attempted theft of his car, recalling that in one of his real estate projects the murder of a worker was linked to “a dispute between criminal gangs linked to the unions.”
Belaúnde has ruled out that the attack had a political motivation, but attributes the case to a series of laws popularly known as “pro-crime” that were dictated by Congress and which he has promised to repeal if he wins the 2026 elections.
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