Peru Candidate Susy Aponte Polo Shot Dead in Áncash
Updated 8 times · Latest: 16 October 2026
Key Facts · In short · 16 October 2026
Susy Aponte Polo was a Peruvian journalist and candidate for governor of the Áncash region who was shot dead at a market in Caraz on 19 September 2026. On 9 October Venezuela detained a man, Adrián Solís Ruiz, whom the gunman named as his employer, but whoever paid for the killing has not been named.
She had said publicly that an attack had been ordered against her. Áncash, which hosts the Antamina copper and zinc mine, matters to US investors in Peruvian copper.
Who Was Susy Aponte Polo?
Susy Isabel Aponte Polo worked as a journalist and broadcaster in Áncash, a mountain region north of Lima, and was widely known as “La China” Polo. Peruvian media said she was known for a weekly programme on corruption, “China Polo Dominical”.
She was running for the regional government for the Movimiento Independiente Regional Socios por Áncash, a local political movement. Regional and municipal elections were held on Sunday 4 October, La República reported.
The Warning She Made Public
Shortly before she was killed, Aponte Polo said publicly that an attack had been ordered against her, Infobae reported. The site said she had denounced death threats linked to her political and journalistic work.
Local media reported that she named a senior police general as someone she believed had ordered an attack against her, and the general was later reassigned; our report on the reassignment has the details.
Her warning, followed by her death, has turned a local crime into a national question about the safety of candidates and reporters. It came in the final stretch of the campaign, with voting two weeks away.
The Killing in Caraz
Aponte Polo, widely known as ‘La China’ Polo, was at the Caraz market on Avenida Ramón Castilla, near a Caja Huancayo branch. She was walking through the market with supporters when a gunman opened fire, Bloomberg Línea reported.
She was taken to Hospital San Juan de Dios de Caraz, where doctors confirmed her death from gunshot wounds. One shot is reported to have struck her head, according to Expreso and Infobae.
Several police and press accounts describe the attack as a contract killing, known in Peru as sicariato. No court has yet made any finding on the motive or on who ordered the attack.
The Investigation: From Femicide Inquiry to Contract Hit
Police captured a Venezuelan citizen as the suspected author of the shooting. La República named him as Luis Iván Obispo Díaz and reported he was detained in Caraz with a firearm.
Local outlets report that he admitted participation in his declaration. He is now in custody.
Peru’s public prosecutor’s office first opened a preliminary femicide investigation through its specialised Huaylas unit, Trome reported. It now treats the killing as a contract hit with a possible political motive, according to Canal N, and says those behind the murder could face life imprisonment if responsibility is proven.
A judge ordered fifteen days of preliminary detention for two suspects. Alleged financier Ronald José Toro Ardila denies funding the murder and says his half-sister controlled his bank accounts.
Peru’s attorney general, Tomás Gálvez, confirmed that three suspects were held: the gunman, a man accused of financing the murder and a third who transported the shooter.
By 27 September, prosecutors were also hunting a woman who stayed at a Caraz hostel under the name “Valeria Torres”, plus two further suspects. We could not confirm their status as of 16 October.
A second person has died from the attack. A 72-year-old woman wounded in the Caraz shooting died in hospital after days in intensive care, local outlets report.
No charge, trial date or ruling on the motive has been announced. Under Peruvian law the suspects are presumed innocent until a court decides otherwise.
More on the case: hitman’s confession, second victim and the election-day deadline, the contract-hit investigation and the police commander removed over the case.
The Gang Leader Detained in Venezuela
Venezuelan authorities detained Adrián Solís Ruiz on 9 October 2026 in Calabozo, in the state of Guárico, La República reported on 14 October. The gunman, Luis Iván Obispo Díaz, told investigators that Solís hired him and paid him S/15,000 (about US$4,400 at 3.44 soles per dollar), and Solís is presumed innocent.
Prosecutors in Caraz accuse him of aggravated homicide, and Peruvian investigators have started coordinating with Venezuelan authorities to question him. Peru says Venezuelan law bars his extradition, so it is not yet known whether he will name whoever paid for the hit.
Electoral Bodies and Press Groups React
The National Elections Jury (JNE), which oversees Peruvian elections, condemned the killing and called for it to be solved quickly, Correo reported. The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), which runs the vote, expressed regret and called for greater security for people involved in elections.
The Consejo de la Prensa Peruana, a press freedom body, demanded a thorough investigation. It said the motives of the killing must be clarified, Infobae reported.
For the Áncash vote and the runoff, see our Peru governor race page.
Where the Peru Assassination Case Stands on 16 October
The gunman, Luis Iván Obispo Díaz, is in custody. A second victim, a 72-year-old woman, has also died of her wounds.
After a hearing on 4 October, the Huaylas-Caraz court ordered 18 months of preventive detention for Obispo Díaz, accused of firing the shots, and Toro Ardila, accused of financing the attack, Canal N and Caretas reported. Both are presumed innocent until a court rules.
In Áncash, the governor’s race went ahead after her death. Later ONPE counts showed Antonio Casana of Alianza para el Progreso (APP) with about 21.0%, ahead of Betto Barrionuevo of Podemos Perú with about 16.1%.
Enrique Alejandro of the Partido Demócrata Verde was close behind with about 15.8%, so the final pairing awaits the official proclamation, and nobody reached the 30% needed to win outright. The JNE first set the second round for 29 November and then moved it to 6 December at the request of ONPE.
What It Means for You: Why Susy Aponte Polo and Áncash Matter
The 4 October elections chose regional governors and mayors across Peru. Media describe them as the first national test for President Keiko Fujimori’s government, which took office on 28 July.
Áncash matters beyond its size because it hosts Antamina, one of the world’s largest copper and zinc mines. Its regional government manages a large share of the mining royalties that flow to local budgets.
A candidate’s killing two weeks before the vote put pressure on the police and electoral authorities in the final days of the campaign. It also tests whether threats made in public are taken seriously before they are carried out.
The case shows the risks that local candidates and journalists face in parts of Peru. How quickly investigators identify who ordered the attack will be the measure of the response, and whether it was political is not yet established.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Susy “La China” Polo?
She was a Peruvian journalist and broadcaster in Áncash, known for a weekly programme on corruption. She was a candidate for regional governor of Áncash for the regional group Socios por Áncash.
What happened in Caraz?
She was shot at about 12:40 on Saturday 19 September 2026 while campaigning at the Caraz market in Huaylas province. She was taken to Hospital San Juan de Dios de Caraz, where her death was confirmed.
Has anyone been arrested?
Yes: police captured the gunman, named in local reports as Luis Iván Obispo Díaz, who has reportedly admitted participation, and prosecutors say an alleged financier, Ronald José Toro Ardila, is also held. Venezuelan authorities detained a third man, Adrián Solís Ruiz, on 9 October, and all suspects are presumed innocent.
Who ordered the killing of Susy Aponte Polo?
That is not yet established. The gunman told investigators that Solís Ruiz hired him, and Solís is presumed innocent, but prosecutors have not named whoever paid for the hit.
Did anyone else die in the attack?
Yes. A 72-year-old woman wounded in the Caraz shooting died in hospital after days in intensive care, local outlets report.
What did she say before her death?
She said publicly that an attack had been ordered against her, Infobae reported. She had denounced death threats linked to her political and journalistic work.
Who runs for governor of Áncash now?
Voters chose on Sunday 4 October. In ONPE’s later counts Antonio Casana (APP, about 21.0%) and Betto Barrionuevo (Podemos Perú, about 16.1%) led, and nobody reached the 30% needed, so a second round follows on 6 December once the pairing is proclaimed.
Sources: Infobae: journalist and candidate killed during campaign in Caraz, Infobae: who she was and her death threats, La República: killing of Susy Aponte in Áncash, Infobae: suspect captured with a firearm, Trome: case investigated as suspected femicide, La República: gang leader detained in Venezuela, La República: ONPE results for Áncash, El Peruano: second round on 6 December; central bank rate: RT market data, 16 October 2026
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
The big picture: Peru explained: economy, politics, society and daily life in one read.
Earlier updates
On 10 October 2026: A court had ordered 18 months of preventive detention for the gunman and the alleged financier, and a second victim had died.
On 1 October 2026: Prosecutors had a gunman in custody, a second victim had died and the detention deadline fell on election day.
On 23 September 2026: Prosecutors treated the killing as a contract hit. A judge ordered fifteen days of preliminary detention for two suspects, and the case turned on who ordered it.
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
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