Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

After recordings were released in which the head of Perupetro, Alberto Quimper Herrera was heard negotiating a bribe to grant the exploration of oil blocks to a Norwegian company, President Garcia announced Quimper would immediately be removed from his position.

The announcement was made by Garcia, Cabinet Chief Jorge del Castillo and the Minister of Energy and Mines Juan Valdivia on Sunday evening after a news program aired four recordings in which the head of the regulatory body was heard planning, negotiating and celebrating a bribe.

It was revealed that Perupetro, which is responsible for overall regulation and licensing of the oil and gas industries in Peru, was bribed to grant the Norwegian company Discover Petroleum a concession to explore five oil blocks in the region of Madre de Dios.

Furthermore, the recordings involved state oil company Petro-Peru, which also won the exploration concession and was to explore the oil blocks alongside Discover Petroleum.

After the recordings were aired and President Garcia fired Alberto Quimper, César Gutiérrez, the president of Petro-Peru resigned from his position.

From the government palace Sunday evening, Garcia affirmed that the matter was "extremely serious" and that Quimper had betrayed the country's trust.

He stated that those involved were nothing more than rats and that they would be arrested for acts of corruption.

According to the recordings released, the heads of Perupetro and a Peruvian representative of Discover Petroleum received $100,000 and $200,000 for manipulating the bidding process for the concession to explore the oil blocks.