Sergio Baigorria, the mayor of the Lima district of Chaclacayo and father of television personality and businesswoman Alejandra Baigorria, has denied accusations linking him and his daughter to a case of alleged animal abandonment at a shelter in the district.
The mayor rejected the claims and came out in defense of his daughter, who had already publicly questioned the accusations herself.
The controversy began after a report aired on the program hosted by Peruvian journalist Magaly Medina. Following the broadcast, Alejandra Baigorria, known publicly as the "Gringa de Gamarra," suggested the controversy was intended to benefit certain candidates ahead of upcoming municipal elections. Her father backed that version of events and presented documents to support his position.
In a video posted on his social media accounts, Sergio Baigorria distanced himself from the accusations broadcast on Medina's program and questioned how the case had been handled. He said he wanted to clarify points raised on an entertainment program and stated that he flatly rejected all of it, explaining that there was a dispute between neighbors involving a property where dogs had been placed.
What the Documents Show
To back up his account, the mayor displayed a series of documents related to the animals' situation. Among them was a prosecutorial request that arrived at the municipality on September 3, the same day the report aired on Medina's program, "Magaly TV, la firme." The document asked the municipal government to take temporary action to guarantee the feeding, care and attention of the dogs and cats, and to arrange for their eventual relocation.
Baigorria also displayed a record dated Friday, September 4, showing that food had been sent to the animals still at the property.
However, he said another document complicated the municipality's ability to intervene: a notarial letter dated September 2, in which the owner of the animals demanded that no action be taken regarding her pets, including donations, and warned she would pursue criminal charges if this demand was not respected. According to the mayor, the woman had abandoned the property, which he said belonged to a different owner, leaving the animals behind.
Mayor Calls Accusations a "Hoax"
Sergio Baigorria described the accusations against him and his daughter as a "patraña," or hoax. He echoed the view expressed by his daughter, who is married to reality television personality Said Palao, that political interests could be behind the controversy.
He said the matter was a hoax being orchestrated against them by a candidate or candidates seeking to run for the municipality.
Chaclacayo is one of Lima's outlying districts, and Peru's municipal elections are held every four years, with local officials such as mayors standing for re-election or facing new challengers. Magaly Medina is one of Peru's best-known entertainment journalists, and her program frequently covers celebrity controversies involving public figures such as Alejandra Baigorria, a businesswoman and television personality widely recognized in the country.
Defending His Daughter
The mayor also objected to his daughter being drawn into the case and said he would pursue legal action. He said he flatly rejected any attempt to involve his daughter, stressing that he was the one who held the position of mayor and arguing that those behind the accusations were seeking publicity because they had no other campaign ideas to offer voters.
He said his critics wanted to attach themselves to him by claiming he was failing to fulfil his duties, when in fact he had produced evidence of everything he was doing. He added that the worst part was that his family had been dragged into the matter, something he said he would not accept, and stated that he would take legal measures.
Fellow television personality Mario Hart had earlier come out in defense of Alejandra Baigorria over the animal abandonment accusation, arguing that being the mayor's daughter did not make her responsible for the matter.
