The businessman from the mining sector kidnapped this weekend in the city of Trujillo, in the northwest of Peru, has been released this Monday, according to authorities from the Andean country. At the same time, four alleged perpetrators of this kidnapping have been arrested, in which four companions traveling with him in his vehicle died.
"Four alleged individuals involved in this reprehensible crime were captured and the citizen who remained kidnapped was released," celebrated the president of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, in a message on social media in which she highlighted the "rapid and firm response" of the Police "in this case."
In that same message, the head of State conveyed her "deepest condolences and solidarity" to the relatives of the four fatalities, while reiterating that she will not give "truce to crime."
The released businessman is Jenns Lara Tantaquilla, who was intercepted in the early hours of Sunday by a group of armed criminals disguised as police officers. The assailants killed the four companions who were with him in his car when he was traveling on Húsares de Junín avenue.
"These people simulated a police intervention; in any part of the world, even in the safest places, criminals dress as police," indicated then in statements to the media, reported by the RPP network, the head of the La Libertad Police Region, General Ricardo Espinoza.
For his part, the general of the National Police and head of the Criminal Investigation Directorate (DIRINCRI), Víctor Revoredo, pointed to the criminal gang "Los Pulpos" as the alleged organization that would have ordered the kidnapping.
It is worth remembering that this same Sunday, Fujimori herself called an emergency meeting after what happened. From that meeting, the president of the Council of Ministers, Luis Galarreta, emerged demanding that Congress prioritize the debate and approval of the delegation of legislative powers in matters of citizen security.
As he explained, this authorization would allow, among other aspects, the State to identify and categorize certain criminal organizations as hostile or terrorist groups, which would open the door to the direct intervention of the Armed Forces.
In parallel, the party Juntos por el Perú, of presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez, has registered a bill to modify article 8 of Legislative Decree 1267 and empower Fujimori to prematurely dismiss the commander general of the National Police of Peru, Óscar Arriola.
This initiative has been joined this Monday by the Ahora Nación bench, a center-left formation, which has demanded Arriola's resignation considering that "his continuity in office is no longer sustainable."
"Arriola must resign! The brutal attack in Trujillo confirms the failure of his management against crime. The country needs security, not more excuses," the bench defended in a statement disseminated on social media.
Arriola holds the command of the National Police by virtue of a norm approved during the government of Pedro Castillo, which keeps him in the position until September 2027. In fact, just a week ago, the Minister of the Interior, César Astudillo, acknowledged before the Chamber of Deputies that the Peruvian Executive lacks legal margin to remove him before he completes his two years in office, despite the intense criticism of his management of security in the country.