Peru’s President Names New Interior Minister as Crime Wave Grips Nation

Peru’s President Dina Boluarte appointed Julio Díaz Zulueta as Interior Minister on March 24, 2025, tasking the retired police general with tackling a relentless surge in crime.

The swearing-in, held at Lima’s Government Palace, followed Congress’s censure of Juan José Santiváñez on March 21, ousting him with 78 votes for failing to stem a tide of 2,600 murders during his 10-month tenure.

Díaz Zulueta vowed to serve Peru and his family, stepping into a ministry under intense scrutiny as citizens demand action against escalating theft, extortion, and violence.

Crime has spiraled into a national crisis, with 509 homicides recorded in 2025 by the National System of Deaths (Sinadef), a grim tally spotlighted by the March murder of Paul Flores, lead singer of Armonía 10, by alleged extortionists.

This high-profile killing in Callao prompted Boluarte to declare a 30-day state of emergency in Lima Metropolitana and Callao, the seventh such measure in her presidency.

Santiváñez had launched 475 police operations, detaining 271 suspects with 8,500 officers and 3,772 soldiers, yet public frustration boiled over as 1,014 detainees were released by police, 228 by prosecutors, and 63 by courts, fueling calls for tougher justice.

Díaz Zulueta’s Background and Challenges

Díaz Zulueta, 63, brings a 40-year career focused on citizen security and community policing. He holds degrees in Education (Language and Literature), Administration and Police Sciences, and master’s degrees in National Defense and Development, and Public Management.

His past carries some baggage. As Lambayeque’s police chief during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, he faced allegations of overpaying 80,000 soles ($21,000 USD) for substandard masks.

These masks came from untested suppliers. The situation ultimately led to his exit after an Anticorruption Prosecutor’s probe. Politically, he advised Callao Governor Ciro Castillo. He was also tied to Alianza Para el Progreso until 2023.

This connection hinted at ties to Boluarte’s circle. Boluarte, Peru’s first female president since surviving Pedro Castillo’s 2022 impeachment, navigates a turbulent term.

Her approval rating languishes at 5%, battered by scandals like the 2024 Rolex probe and seven interior minister turnovers. Díaz Zulueta, once Santiváñez’s deputy, must now deliver where his mentor failed—or risk deepening Peru’s descent into insecurity.

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