Juntos por el Perú parliamentary group spokesman Ernesto Zunini has rejected public comments by lawmaker Marlon Aguirre, who questioned his leadership and refused to rule out defecting to Fuerza Popular.
Zunini called the public airing of internal disagreements irresponsible and stated that the political group will collectively evaluate Aguirre's situation following his remarks.
The row erupted after Aguirre, a deputy representing the Junín region, publicly questioned the internal operation of Juntos por el Perú and criticized Zunini directly. Aguirre described Zunini as a leader in quotation marks and claimed that internal democracy was non-existent within the parliamentary delegation.
Aguirre also revealed that he had held discussions with the right-wing party Fuerza Popular before running for office under the Juntos por el Perú banner. He stated that he had not yet decided whether he would leave his current group to join Fuerza Popular.
Internal decision making and external influences
Responding to the criticisms, Zunini explained that all decisions inside the Juntos por el Perú parliamentary group are taken through consensus. When consensus cannot be reached on an issue, the matter is submitted to a vote among the members.
Zunini reminded his colleague that the public elected him to carry out parliamentary duties under the banner of Juntos por el Perú. He added that each lawmaker remains individually responsible for any decisions taken regarding their political future.
While declining to announce a final position on Aguirre's potential departure, Zunini urged internal discussion rather than public disputes. He emphasized that the leadership would review the matter internally as a collective body.
Zunini also suggested that the internal friction might be driven by outside interests. He stated that such differences were induced by external forces seeking to create disruption similar to events seen in the Senate, adding that these external actions deserve public explanations, though he did not specify which groups he meant.
Political background and parliamentary context
Juntos por el Perú is a left-wing political coalition in Peru, while Fuerza Popular is a right-wing party led by former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. Members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru are elected to represent specific electoral districts, such as the central highlands region of Junín.
The internal dispute comes amid broader legislative activity for Juntos por el Perú in the Peruvian parliament. The parliamentary delegation recently proposed establishing a truth and justice commission to investigate southern regional protests that occurred between 2022 and 2023.
The group also recently stepped back from a planned congressional interpellation of Guillermo Shinno Huamaní, the Minister of Energy and Mines.
The Juntos por el Perú parliamentary group is expected to hold internal discussions to evaluate Aguirre's standing and determine its collective response to his statements.
