Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori threw her support behind Ombudsman Josué Gutiérrez on Friday, even as he faces a constitutional complaint in Congress and allegations of irregular hiring inside the institution he leads.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Defensoría del Pueblo, Peru's Ombudsman's Office, Fujimori said the government should not view the institution as an uncomfortable presence or as an adversary.
The president went beyond a ceremonial greeting. She asked the executive branch to treat the Defensoría as an ally in identifying shortcomings, correcting procedures and improving the relationship between the state and citizens.
She also made a specific commitment, saying she reaffirmed the government's willingness to seriously address the Defensoría's recommendations and to maintain a respectful, transparent and constructive relationship with the office.
Support comes at a delicate moment
Fujimori's endorsement landed at a difficult time for Gutiérrez, who is facing two separate controversies. One concerns remarks he made about a potential closure of Congress. The other involves alleged irregularities in hiring within the Defensoría. Neither issue came up in the president's remarks at the anniversary event.
The Defensoría del Pueblo is Peru's autonomous constitutional body tasked with defending citizens' rights and overseeing the conduct of public administration, and its head is appointed for a fixed term with the backing of Congress.
The Congress closure remarks
The most recent controversy erupted a little over two weeks ago. Gutiérrez said in a radio interview that if Fujimori were to dissolve Congress, her popularity would rise by twenty or thirty points.
He later clarified that he was not trying to encourage such a move, but rather to warn about the weakness of the country's democratic institutions. Even so, Juntos por el Perú lawmaker Analí Márquez filed a constitutional complaint against him, seeking his removal from office and a ten-year disqualification from holding public posts.
Fujimori herself described Gutiérrez's comments as a slip and categorically rejected any possibility of closing Congress.
Hiring irregularities under scrutiny
A second, more recent front has added to the pressure on Gutiérrez. An investigation by the television program Cuarto Poder uncovered what it described as a pattern of hires and promotions within the Defensoría tied to prior meetings with the ombudsman.
One case involves Lucía Yalán Cano, who met with Gutiérrez in June 2024. Weeks later, she obtained her registration in the National Registry of Suppliers along with five consecutive service orders, before eventually joining the institution as an administrative assistant under the CAS regime, the contract scheme used for temporary public-sector employment in Peru.
Another case involves Betbiary Mariel Díaz Coral, who took over as head of the Defensoría's Right to Health Program without documenting the four years of experience the position required. Peru's Comptroller General, the country's supreme audit body, said it also found documents in some personnel files that validated only a few days of work being used to support claims of years of experience.
Calls for sanctions in Congress
The Comptroller General's findings reopened calls for disciplinary action against Gutiérrez. Formal requests for his removal are already circulating in Congress, adding to the constitutional complaint tied to his comments about a possible closure of the legislature.
Gutiérrez has responded to both fronts. He described the Comptroller General's report as a disproportionate overreaction. Regarding the constitutional complaint, he said he was willing to appear before Congress and offer an apology if the process moves forward.
Fujimori did not mention either episode during the ceremony marking the Defensoría del Pueblo's 30th anniversary.
