Anti-corruption prosecutors in Peru launched an investigation on Wednesday into irregular hiring allegations involving Sofía Aguayo Morales and her mother at the Ministry of Culture.
Investigators from the Second Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Corruption of Public Officials carried out an operational raid at the central headquarters of both the Ministry of Culture and the National Library of Peru to secure administrative documents.
The prosecutor team, led by provincial deputy prosecutor Jhannice Bastidas Arroyo, arrived at the government offices following a report published by investigative news outlet Lima Gris. The investigation centres on the appointment of Aguayo Morales as general manager of the National Library of Peru and the hiring of her mother, Lourdes Beatriz Morales Morote, within the minister's personal office.
The Ministry of Culture, headquartered in Lima's San Borja district, oversees Peru's national heritage, cultural institutions, and indigenous affairs. The National Library of Peru, founded in 1821, is the country's oldest public institution and functions as a decentralized executive agency under the ministry's jurisdiction, managing national documentary preservation.
Allegations of political favoritism and unverified credentials
According to the report by Lima Gris, both women were allegedly favored due to their political proximity to Culture Minister Alberto Beingolea. Aguayo Morales and Morales Morote are former militants of the Christian People's Party, a long-established Peruvian political organization with which Beingolea has also been prominently linked throughout his political career.
Investigative reporting indicated that neither woman possessed professional experience suited for the positions they obtained. Investigators noted that Aguayo Morales registered a personal visit to Beingolea's ministerial office in San Borja just three days before her official appointment as general manager of the National Library of Peru on August 6.
The Christian People's Party is a centre-right political party in Peru with a history dating back to the mid-twentieth century. Beingolea, a lawyer, journalist, and former congressman, previously served as the party's president prior to taking leadership of the culture portfolio.
Salaries and ongoing bribery investigations
In her new role at the National Library of Peru, Aguayo Morales receives a monthly salary of 15,600 soles. Information gathered by Lima Gris showed that her career had previously been concentrated in the real estate sector, with no recorded background in library management or cultural administration.
Aguayo Morales is also under investigation in a separate active case handled by the Second Corporate Provincial Prosecutor's Office Specialized in Corruption of Public Officials. Prosecutors in that case are investigating her for alleged passive improper bribery and incompatible negotiation during her previous employment at the Urban Transport Authority for Lima and Callao. She resigned from the transit authority one day before officially assuming her position at the library.
The Urban Transport Authority for Lima and Callao is the technical public entity responsible for planning, regulating, and managing public transit systems across the Peruvian capital and its neighboring port city.
Ministry office contract and degree verification
Her mother, Morales Morote, was brought into the minister's office under a separate contractual arrangement. Lima Gris reported that her contract totals 32,500 soles for 145 days of service, representing an effective monthly compensation of approximately 6,500 soles.
The media report further stated that Morales Morote has no academic degrees or professional titles registered with the National Superintendency of Higher University Education. The superintendency serves as Peru's official regulatory body responsible for verifying higher education credentials and maintaining the national registry of university degrees.
The Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the seized documentation from Wednesday's raids at the ministry and library will be evaluated to determine whether the hiring processes constitute criminal offenses under Peruvian anti-corruption laws.
