PERU · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What is happening General Lizandro Córdova, head of the joint command in Pataz, allegedly asked the Poderosa gold mine for vehicles to move two detainees, in a report dated Thursday, 22 October.
- —Why it matters The command exists to fight illegal gold mining, and the report raises the question of whether state forces lean on one company. Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde denies favouring Poderosa.
- —The numbers The two requests are dated Tuesday, 1 September and Thursday, 24 September. Poderosa’s board chair made eight donations totalling S/1.48 million (about US$430,000) to Belaúnde’s party, which he has acknowledged as declared.
- —Who is who The Comando Unificado Pataz (CUPAZ) joins army and police units, and was created in May 2025. Poderosa is a Pataz gold miner chaired by Evangelina Arias Vargas, with retired Army general Carlos Romero Von Bancels as security chief.
- —What to watch Whether prosecutors, Congress or the Defense Ministry open an inquiry into the vehicle requests. The ministry did not answer the newspaper, and Poderosa declined to comment.
- —Power Index Peru ranks 5th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 54.7 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you For US travellers, miners and gold buyers, the story shows how closely Peru’s security forces and a major mine work together in Pataz. It is an allegation, and no court or prosecutor has ruled on it.
A Peruvian newspaper says the army-led command in Pataz asked a gold mine for vehicles to move detainees. The defense minister denies any favours for the company.
The army-led command in Pataz, Peru, asked the Poderosa mine for vehicles to move detainees, La República reported on Thursday, 22 October. The paper says General Lizandro Córdova, who heads the command, made the requests.
Pataz is a gold-mining province in the La Libertad region of northern Peru. The report matters to US readers because it touches how Peru polices illegal gold, and who pays for that policing.
What La República Reports
The newspaper describes two requests, the first on Tuesday, 1 September, from Córdova to Poderosa’s security superintendent. That official is retired Army general Carlos Romero Von Bancels, and the trip ran from Pataz to Trujillo.
The man faced a drug-trafficking arrest warrant from a Trujillo court, La República says. He had been stopped at the Calquiche checkpoint, and the paper names the Poderosa vehicle and its driver.
On Thursday, 24 September, Córdova allegedly asked again, this time for a second detainee wanted by a court in Arequipa. The paper says the Chagual police station had no vehicle, so the general turned to the company.
La República says the documents carry Córdova’s signature and that Poderosa agreed to both requests. It also cites unnamed sources who say such help is common and needs only a request to the mine’s security chief.
The Poderosa Link and the Defense Minister
The paper also reports photos and videos of soldiers and police eating at Poderosa camps, including Hualanga. It says the command works mostly near the company’s concessions in Pueblo Nuevo, Zarumilla, Cedros and Suyubamba.
La República links this to Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde, because Poderosa board chair Evangelina Arias Vargas gave eight donations to his campaign. The paper calls this a conflict of interest, but Panamericana says the money went to his party.
Belaúnde acknowledged the eight donations, about S/1.48 million (about US$430,000), on 18 August, Panamericana television reported. He called them public and declared, and said they involved no promise of favours.
Diario Correo reported on 16 August that he rejected any link between the Pataz emergency and Poderosa’s interests. The Defense Ministry did not answer La República this week, and the paper says Poderosa declined to comment.
In an earlier report on 30 August, La República says Poderosa confirmed the command uses its facilities. It said then that it has no control over security decisions and receives no payment.
What Earlier Reports Say About the Pataz Command
CUPAZ was created on 9 May 2025 under then-president Dina Boluarte, La República says, and runs on army and police budgets. Peru’s defense ministry has said it seizes weapons and arrests gang members in Pataz, El Peruano reported on 19 June.
On 3 April, Diario UNO alleged, citing five anonymous officers, that the command also escorts Poderosa gold shipments. That report named Córdova as the commander and carried no on-record reply from the company or the command.
Infobae reported that the command detained 68 people in one May operation in Pueblo Nuevo. The same report said more than 159 people had been held since it began.
What It Means for US Readers
US travellers should know that Pataz sits in a conflict zone where the state, miners and armed gangs overlap. Nothing in the report changes that picture, and it carries no US travel advice.
Investors and buyers of Peruvian gold may weigh the governance risk when a state command and one mine work so closely. The claims are allegations from one newspaper, not findings by a prosecutor.
Background is in earlier Rio Times reports on the attack at the Poderosa mine and fears of a new Pataz in Cajamarca. The guides to Peru security and crime and Peru natural resources add context.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether the vehicles were used, as only La República reports the two requests. No prosecutor, police commander or court has confirmed them, and the documents were not seen independently.
The paper calls Córdova a brigade general, but one document caption names the signer Mao Córdova Román. The article reports no reply from Córdova or the command.
Belaúnde’s statements differ in detail between 16 and 18 August. The donation total was not checked at the electoral body ONPE, and dollar values use the 23 October rate of 3.44 soles.
What Comes Next
Watch for a reply from the Defense Ministry or the command, and for any inquiry by prosecutors or Congress. An opposition caucus, Juntos por el Perú, filed a motion in August to question Belaúnde, but no vote date was found.
The report does not mean a crime has been proved. It also does not show that Poderosa was paid for the transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did La República report about Poderosa?
It reported on 22 October that General Lizandro Córdova asked the Poderosa mine for vehicles to move two detainees. The paper says Poderosa agreed and that the documents carry his signature.
What is the Comando Unificado Pataz?
It is a joint army and police command created on 9 May 2025 to fight illegal mining and crime in Pataz. It is funded through the Defense and Interior ministries.
What does the defense minister say?
Rafael Belaúnde denies giving Poderosa preferential treatment. He acknowledged eight declared donations from the company’s board chair to his party, about US$430,000, but said they carried no favours.
How has Poderosa responded?
La República says Poderosa declined to comment on the new report. In August the company said it has no control over security operations and gets no payment.
Is this a proven wrongdoing?
No, these are allegations from one newspaper. No prosecutor or court has ruled on them.
Sources: La República, 22 October; La República, 30 August; Panamericana, 18 August; Diario Correo, 16 August; Diario UNO, 3 April; El Peruano, 19 June; Infobae, 2 May; exchange rate from open.er-api.com (all accessed 23 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief