Peruvian lawmaker Julián Pérez Mallqui is facing a preliminary ethics investigation over allegations of physical and psychological aggression against his former partner at her home in Lima.
Henry Albañil, the president of the Congressional Ethics Commission, announced the inquiry on Wednesday, August 19, during the committee's official installation session. Albañil stated that the working group had received a formal complaint filed by deputy Cristian Aranda Vázquez against Pérez Mallqui and noted that the accused lawmaker was immediately notified of the proceedings to launch the preliminary investigation.
The official filing presented by Aranda Vázquez requests that Pérez Mallqui, a representative for the southern Andean region of Cusco belonging to the Juntos por el Perú party, be suspended from exercising his office without pay for 120 legislative days. According to the document, the requested sanction aims to punish alleged ethical misconduct and ensure the right of women to live lives free from violence.
Allegations of domestic aggression in San Miguel
The events detailed in the complaint took place on July 30, 2026, just four days after Pérez Mallqui assumed his parliamentary duties in the Congress of the Republic of Peru. The alleged victim, Laura Bonilla Valerio, is the lawmaker's ex-partner and previously served as his legal defense lawyer.
According to the written submission, the parliamentarian engaged in constant telephone harassment starting at 5:58 a.m. on the morning of the incident. When Bonilla Valerio did not respond to the repeated calls, Pérez Mallqui allegedly entered her residence in the San Miguel district of Lima without authorization, taking advantage of the absence of her father.
The complaint asserts that the allegations are substantiated by security camera recordings from the property as well as direct testimony provided by Bonilla Valerio. The Ethics Commission will review these video logs and witness statements as part of its preliminary inquiry.
Congressional ethics proceedings in Peru
Under the internal regulations of the Congress of the Republic of Peru, the Ethics Commission is tasked with evaluating allegations of improper conduct brought against sitting members of parliament. Albañil, who represents the Cívico Obras group, presides over the congressional working group during its installation for the current legislative session.
The 120-day suspension without pay sought in the complaint represents the maximum disciplinary sanction that the Ethics Commission can recommend against a member of parliament under Peruvian congressional guidelines. Juntos por el Perú, the political coalition to which Pérez Mallqui belongs, is one of several parliamentary groups represented in Peru's unicameral assembly.
The opening of a preliminary inquiry initiates the first formal phase of parliamentary disciplinary proceedings in Peru. During this period, the commission examines the documentation submitted by Aranda Vázquez, reviews the available evidence, and allows the accused deputy to present his defense before deciding whether to recommend full disciplinary action to the plenary assembly of Congress.
