As of this writing Chiclayo’s mayor Beto
Torres remains a fugitive, with police intensifying their efforts to apprehend
him. So far 27 people have been detained by police, including the city manager,
some common council members, Beto’s girlfriend (photo), and a police officer in
the anticorruption unit. Cash, jewelry and other valuables were found by police while conducting 13 separate raids two nights ago. Court documents accuse Beto and the others of setting
up ‘shadow corporations’ and awarding city contracts to those corporations. They
would then sell those contracts to legitimate (?) companies for a sizable
kickback.
Corruption in Peru goes with the territory. It
is not accepted, but it is expected. The assumption is that every public
employee, from the President to a postal worker is corrupt unless proven
otherwise. That is probably too sweeping of an indictment, but one that all too often proves to be true.
The question is will
Beto be caught and if so, where and when? There is probably no truth to reports
that he is en route to Venezuela where he will apply for asylum and try to
convince a sympathetic Maduro that the whole affair is a plot by the United States to
discredit him.
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