Peru's Senate Erupts Over Delegated Powers: Clash Between Interior Minister and Senator Suspends Session, Fujimori Backs Minister
LIMA - A Senate Constitution Commission session on Saturday, October 10, reviewing the executive's request for delegated legislative powers, erupted into confrontation. Interior Minister Cesar Astudillo and Senator Iber Maravi traded heated exchanges; another senator chest-bumped Maravi and challenged him to settle it outside, and the chair suspended the meeting for about ten minutes, with arguments continuing during the break and the justice minister becoming involved.
The clash came against the backdrop of the powers themselves: ministers had presented plans including police restructuring, a national unified command against organised crime, military roles inside prisons, post-release monitoring of dangerous offenders and classifying some violent acts as terrorism. Defence officials argued for broadening the definition of hostile groups to target criminal organisations controlling territory in areas such as the VRAEM. Opposition senators demanded clearer legal limits, cost details and protections for protest rights.
Afterwards, President Fujimori publicly defended Astudillo at an Army headquarters event, and cabinet ministers said the government stands united behind him, framing the incident as opposition obstruction. Renovacion Popular, backed by Fuerza Popular, prepared a referral to the Senate Ethics Commission seeking a 120-day suspension of Maravi. The Constitutional Tribunal's president said the court will not act on the procedural dispute unless formally asked.
The confrontation leaves the text approved by the Chamber of Deputies on October 6 facing an uncertain Senate path. The powers fight has escalated from policy debate into a contest over institutional trust, and its outcome will directly shape how much room the Fujimori government has to legislate on security and El Nino by decree over the next three months.
Sources: Compiled from Particle News' reports around October 10, 2026, on the Senate clash and Peruvian media live coverage of the session.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 秘鲁国会全体会议现场，Congreso de la República del Perú from Lima, Perú 摄，CC BY 2.0（Wikimedia Commons）
