Peru firefighters to march in civic parade after contingent dispute resolved

The Peruvian Ministry of Defense has announced that the Cuerpo General de Bomberos del Perú (CGBVP), Peru's volunteer firefighting corps, will indeed participate in the Grand Civic-Military Parade on July 29. This confirmation follows a resolved disagreement over the size of the contingent that initially threatened the firefighters' involvement.

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We just talked and they are going to participate with their three groups because they have always been a group that has historically accompanied us. (...) We regret that at some point there may have been some disagreement.

Minister of Defense Amadeo Flores Carcagno confirmed the firefighters' attendance after meeting with their representatives. The agreement allows the firefighters to march with their three customary companies, comprising approximately 300 members, rather than the previously proposed single company of 81. This decision overturns an earlier stance by parade organizers that had prompted the firefighters to declare they would not participate.

On July 17, the CGBVP had expressed strong objections to the organizers' decision to limit their participation to just one of the three companies they had been rehearsing with. The firefighters viewed this reduction as unjust and detrimental to their institutional image, stating it disregarded their historical role in national events. They had prepared for weeks with their own resources, involving around 300 members from Lima, Callao, and other provinces.

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However, for the current edition, the organizers have decided to limit our participation to only one company (81 personnel), when historically we have marched with three companies.

Minister Flores explained that the reduction in participating groups is a general measure applied to many delegations to prevent the event from exceeding its planned duration of three to three-and-a-half hours. He cited examples like Indeci and Cenepred merging into one company and the National Police and Armed Forces also reducing their marching groups. However, he acknowledged the discrepancy with the firefighters and stated that an agreement was reached for their full participation, regretting any past disagreement. "We just talked and they are going to participate with their three groups because they have always been a group that has historically accompanied us," Flores said.

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This decision, which we consider unfair and contrary to our institutional tradition, affects the image of the CGBVP and disregards the role we have played in national life.