Argentine businessman Damián Valenzuela, described as a close friend of Peru's President Keiko Fujimori, has sent a notarized letter denying he has ever been criminally convicted of fraud and demanding that a Peruvian weekly and one of its journalists retract a report linking him to court rulings in the United States and Uruguay.
The letter, sent Monday to journalist César Hildebrandt and reporter Eloy Marchán, responds to an investigation published by the weekly Hildebrandt en sus Trece, which detailed meetings between Valenzuela and Fujimori at the Tomyko spa.
The letter, published by Valenzuela's lawyer on X, calls for the immediate halt of what it describes as false and damaging information and states that Valenzuela reserves the right to pursue criminal, civil and damages claims. It states that Alejandro Valenzuela Mayer, the businessman's full name, has never been criminally sentenced for any offense anywhere in the world.
Fujimori's TikTok admission
The claim comes a day after Fujimori publicly acknowledged, during a TikTok broadcast, that she visited the spa with Valenzuela on July 11. It also comes amid questions over what role the businessman may have played in the Fuerza Popular campaign and in the protocol events of July 28.
In the letter, Valenzuela states that he has no criminal convictions for fraud, swindling or any equivalent property crime, and that he has never been criminally convicted of fraud in Argentina, the United States, Spain, Uruguay, Peru or any other jurisdiction. He argues that none of the judicial proceedings cited by the weekly amount to criminal cases.
The letter draws a distinction between civil and criminal proceedings, stating that a civil ruling is not a criminal conviction, that a fraud allegation is not proven fraud, that mediation is not a confession, that a contractual breach is not swindling, and that a civil plaintiff is not a crime victim.
Six-hour deadline, defamation threat
Valenzuela's letter goes beyond asking for an editorial correction. It demands that any rebuttal be published on the same channels where the allegations appeared or were reproduced, including Marchán's personal account, and requires that Hildebrandt en sus Trece communicate within six hours of receiving the letter whether it will withdraw the claims and issue a retraction. The letter sets an overall 24-hour deadline for the rectification to be carried out.
Should the outlet fail to comply, Valenzuela says he will pursue joint civil and criminal action against the publishing company Plutón Editores S.A.C., against Hildebrandt as its director, and against Marchán as the reporter. He states that he expressly reserves the right to file a complaint for aggravated defamation as well as civil and constitutional claims for damages.
The businessman also included a sworn declaration committing, irrevocably, to donate in full and immediately any compensation he might be awarded by Peruvian courts to charities and social assistance institutions in Peru.
Marchán told La República that the weekly had not officially received the letter and had only seen it through the publication by Valenzuela's lawyer on X. He said the outlet's response would appear in the next edition of H13 and defended the reporting, saying H13 practices rigorous journalism and does not publish anything without checking and verifying it, adding that the investigation into Valenzuela and Fujimori had taken two months to complete.
What the H13 investigation reported
Hildebrandt en sus Trece, a Peruvian weekly founded by journalist César Hildebrandt and known for investigative reporting, described Valenzuela in its report as a businessman sentenced over multimillion-dollar fraud schemes. It said he has maintained a close relationship with Fujimori for about a year, including at least four joint visits to the Tomyko spa and appearances at the presidential inauguration and the swearing-in of the cabinet.
The weekly reported that Valenzuela has adverse court rulings in Florida tied to disputes with investors, along with similar cases in Argentina and Uruguay.
Minister already knew of denial
Before Valenzuela made his version public through the notarial letter, a member of Fujimori's cabinet had already referred to it. Minister Luis Dyer said over the weekend that he had received a letter from Valenzuela denying the court sentences, and separately said Valenzuela has no influence whatsoever on the government. Agrarian Development Minister Marco Vinelli acknowledged having met Valenzuela during the campaign but declined to comment on his judicial record.
