Peruvian Justice Annuls Vladimiro Montesinos' Acquittal in Union Leader's Murder Case

Peru's Supreme Court has nullified the acquittal of Vladimiro Montesinos, ex-adviser to former President Alberto Fujimori, and former members of the covert military group Colina. They were accused in the 1992 murder of union leader Pedro Huilca in Lima.

The Transitory Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court identified "critical errors" in the October 31, 2023, ruling by the Fourth Superior Criminal Court. That ruling had acquitted Montesinos and others, including Nicolás Hermoza, Julio Salazar, Juan Rivero, and Federico Navarro, of charges as indirect perpetrators. It also acquitted Santiago Enrique Martin, Julio Chuqui, Jesús Antonio Sosa, Nelson Rogelio Carbajal, and Wilmer Yarlequé as direct perpetrators.

Previously, the judges stated that it was not fully proven that the accused had control over a hierarchical organization with a chain of command, nor was there a clear motive for Fujimori to order Huilca's death. The court also noted that the Colina group reportedly ceased operations in November 1992, making them ineligible to be responsible for Huilca's murder in December 1992.

However, the Supreme Court ordered a new trial, to be conducted by a different Superior Court. The judges argued that the Colina group continued its operations beyond November 1992, citing the 1993 murder of intelligence agent Mariella Barreto as evidence. They also questioned the previous court's delimitation of the group's actions to eliminating terrorists, pointing to prior sentences confirming that the group also assassinated individuals inconvenient to the Fujimori regime. Huilca was the general secretary of the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), the country's largest union confederation, during a period of economic austerity and street protests under Fujimori's government. Following the 2023 acquittal, Huilca's daughter, Indira Huilca, who is now a congresswoman, announced the family's intention to pursue higher legal avenues for justice.