Judge Jovin Valdez Peñaranda has opened criminal proceedings against Puno Regional President Hernan Fuentes for using an allegedly illegal local ordinance to bypass an Executive legislative decree on hiring practices for public school teachers.
Fuentes’ Regional Council passed Regional Ordinance Nº 002-2008 on Feb. 21 to avoid a minimum 14-point grade on a government-issued teachers exam. Fuentes was accused of arbitrarily and illegally setting his own rules by the Education Ministry’s solicitor, who filed a claim with the Peruvian Attorney General’s office.
An indictment was handed up to Judge Valdez May 6, and he opened the proceedings on Wednesday. Fuentes and Juan Sacachipana, a regional adviser for the province of Huancané, have been ordered to show up in court on June 26.
In May, Puno’s Regional Council modified local legislation granting itself authority to put any topic related to regional affairs and development to a popular vote. Fuentes, who has repeatedly accused Garcia’s administration of political persecution, hopes to use the legislation to gain more political autonomy from Lima.
