Peru’s President Reinstates Censured Minister to Justice, Exposing Political Fault Lines

Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has appointed Juan José Santiváñez as Minister of Justice and Human Rights, only months after Congress voted to remove him from the Interior Ministry.

The ceremony at the Government Palace also included new appointments in the Women’s and Social Inclusion ministries.

Santiváñez left his Interior post in March 2025 after Congress censured him, citing failures in public security and leadership.

That censure forced him out of office, but the president soon placed him in advisory roles at the Presidential Office and later at Sucamec, the agency regulating firearms and private security.

His reinstatement now to lead the Justice Ministry suggests Boluarte either questions the basis of Congress’s decision or values his competence and loyalty more than potential backlash.

His appointment comes while he faces a judicial process. In June 2025, the Supreme Court’s Permanent Criminal Chamber issued an 18-month travel ban against him as prosecutors investigate alleged aggravated influence peddling.

Case documents indicate the inquiry focuses on attempts to sway decisions at the Constitutional Court, the national prison service INPE, and the Justice Ministry itself, to benefit a convicted ex-policeman.

The investigation remains preliminary, and no ruling has been issued. The Justice Ministry is a pivotal portfolio. It runs the prison system, coordinates the State’s legal defense, and shapes human rights policy.

Peru’s President Reinstates Censured Minister to Justice, Exposing Political Fault Lines

Today it also manages Peru’s review of its role in the Inter-American human rights system, a process that may affect treaties and regional standing.

Whoever controls the ministry has significant leverage over domestic law and international commitments.

Boluarte’s decision has reignited political conflict. Opposition legislator Susel Paredes called the move a provocation, reflecting how strained executive-legislative relations remain.

By placing Santiváñez in charge of justice policy, the president has directly challenged Congress’s earlier judgment.

The deeper issue is institutional credibility. One branch of government declared Santiváñez unfit, another has returned him to power.

That contradiction illustrates how political struggles shape Peru’s institutions as much as questions of competence.

Whether Congress acted out of concern for security or political calculation, Boluarte’s choice shows she trusts Santiváñez at a time when the Justice Ministry carries unusual weight.