Defense minister José Huerta died of a heart attack this morning, while inspecting troops in the Amazonas region in the north jungle.
Huerta, 71, was boarding a helicopter when he collapsed, after visiting the territorial control post in El Cenepa, accompanied by the Chief of the Joint Command of the armed forces, General Cesar Astudillo. Huerta was flown to the medical post at Santa Maria de Nieva. He died at around 10 am.
The longest serving cabinet minister in President Martin Vizcarra’s government —sworn in on April 2, 2018 following President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s resignation — Huerta was a retired Major General and had served as Army Chief of Staff and as the chief of staff for the Huallaga Front. In 2003 he served as military attaché to the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and in 2010-2012 he was executive director of the South American Defense Council.
President Vizcarra said Huerta’s death saddened him deeply. “He has left us while serving his country. It is painful news and it sorrows us deeply.”
Last week, Huerta authorized the participation of army officers in a “pink apron” campaign led by the Ministry for Women against violence to women. The photo of a group of high-ranking officers in uniform and wearing pink aprons, with the motto “Strength but not Violence”, was heavily criticized by some, who considered the aprons an affront to the uniform.
“As minister of State, I consider that wearing an apron for two minutes for a photograph to bear testimony that the entire Army is backing this campaign, by no means affects the uniform of the Armed Forces,” Huerta said.
