Concerns Rise as Controversial Former Attorney General Appointed to Key Role in Peru

• Attorney General Tomás Galvez Villegas has appointed former Attorney General Patricia Benavides as national coordinator of Specialized Prosecutors’ Offices for Crimes Caught in the Act.
• The appointment is being criticized as a move toward consolidating control over the judiciary under the incoming government of Keiko Fujimori.
• Benavides remains a controversial figure due to ongoing investigations regarding allegations of leading a criminal organization, influence peddling, bribery, and academic plagiarism.

The Appointment and Role

• Formalized by Resolution 1967-2026-MP-FN published in El Peruano on July 22, 2026.
• Benavides is tasked with directing and supervising prosecutors handling crimes committed in flagrante delicto.
• The role includes standardizing operational criteria and coordinating across specialized prosecutor offices.
• This move follows the August 7, 2025, decision by the Board of Supreme Prosecutors to create nationwide Provincial Criminal Prosecutor’s Offices for such crimes.

Public and Civil Society Concerns

• The appointment has sparked criticism within the justice sector and among civil society groups monitoring government transitions.
• Public scrutiny centers on the ethics of placing an official with a history of serious allegations into an influential position tasked with overseeing justice.
• Observers view the trend as an attempt to monopolize state institutions before the new presidential administration fully takes power.