Trade union leader Rubén Pablo Cahuina Mamani died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on the Arequipa-La Joya highway in southern Peru during the early hours of Wednesday, August 27, 2026.
The 55-year-old general secretary of the Federation of Civil Construction Workers (FENATRAC) was hit at approximately 2:30 a.m. near the Las Lomas Association, within the jurisdiction of the Ciudad Municipal National Police station in Arequipa.
The driver involved fled the scene immediately after the collision without offering assistance and has not been identified. Officers inspecting the location found a section of a bumper belonging to a black Toyota Yaris.
The National Police of Peru (PNP) received the initial alert regarding the incident at 5:04 a.m. The case is now under formal investigation by prosecutor María Gómez of the First Provincial Criminal Prosecutor's Office of Cerro Colorado.
The victim's son, journalist Rubén Cahuina, demanded a full investigation to clarify the circumstances of his father's death and bring the perpetrator to justice. He said the motorist rammed his father with the vehicle and left him behind without rendering aid while the injured labor leader attempted to stay alive on the highway.
According to information provided by the family, security cameras operating in the area recorded the hit-and-run. Family members said the footage could help investigators identify the specific vehicle, describing it as a black car featuring a white roof lamp.
Threats and targeted attack hypothesis
In addition to seeking the driver's identification, Cahuina Mamani's family requested that authorities examine an alternative hypothesis during their inquiries. Rubén Cahuina stated that his father had previously received threats from rival trade union groups.
Family members noted that prior to the fatal collision, Cahuina Mamani was last seen at the residence of Efraín Jaime Ari Quispe, who serves as the defense secretary for FENATRAC. Because of these prior incidents, the family asked police to determine whether the death resulted from a traffic accident or a targeted attack.
Police officers are carrying out procedures to identify the driver and confirm the vehicle involved. The victim's family appealed to residents in the Cono Norte area for any information regarding the black car or the circumstances of the crash, asking anyone with details to contact them at 916585589.
Regional context and background
Arequipa, located in the Andes mountains of southern Peru, is the country's second-most populous city. FENATRAC represents workers across Peru's civil construction sector, an industry in which union leadership and jurisdictional disputes between labor organizations have occasionally generated friction. Cerro Colorado, where the prosecutor's office handling the investigation is located, is one of the primary districts comprising Arequipa's northern Cono Norte area.
