55,261 citizens were unable to cast ballots due to material distribution failures
Former ONPE chief Corvetto and 9 other officials face charges for election material distribution failures affecting 3,605 polling stations and 187 stations unable to open in Lima. Investigation reveals alleged favoritism toward Galaga company and unauthorized payments; the firm used 437 third-party vehicles instead of required minimum fleet.
- Piero Corvetto and 9 other ONPE officials face criminal and administrative charges
- 55,261 citizens denied the right to vote; 3,605 polling stations delayed; 187 stations in Lima unable to open
- Galaga company deployed 437 borrowed vehicles instead of required minimum fleet
- Comptroller's report spans 6,578 pages across 14 volumes, released May 25, 2026
- Anti-Corruption Prosecutor already investigating Corvetto separately
Peru's Comptroller General identified presumed criminal and administrative responsibilities of 10 ONPE officials, including former chief Piero Corvetto, for logistical failures in 2026 elections that prevented 55,261 citizens from voting.
Peru's comptroller office has identified ten officials—including Piero Corvetto, who led the National Electoral Office until recently—as bearing criminal and administrative responsibility for the logistical failures that marred the first round of voting in April 2026. The investigation centers on a breakdown in how election materials reached polling stations, a failure so severe that 55,261 citizens were unable to cast ballots.
The specific damage was measurable and widespread. Across the country, 3,605 polling stations experienced delays in receiving their materials. In Lima alone, 187 voting stations could not open at all on election day—April 12th. The comptroller's office, in a control report released on May 25th, concluded that these distribution failures directly violated citizens' right to vote. The investigation spanned 6,578 pages across fourteen volumes.
Covetto's alleged failures centered on his inaction. As the agency's chief, he did not take necessary steps to ensure the Electoral Operations Plan was executed properly. When materials and computer equipment arrived late, he did not intervene. The comptroller found him responsible both criminally and administratively for allowing this to happen. Two other senior officials—José Edilberto Samamé Blas, who managed electoral operations, and Juan Antonio Phang Sánchez, who oversaw electoral production—face similar charges. They are accused of drafting contract terms that did not properly calculate how many vehicles would be needed to transport election materials, a gap that allegedly benefited a private company called Galaga.
Galaga's role in the breakdown reveals a second layer of the problem. The comptroller found that the company ultimately deployed 437 vehicles borrowed from third parties to do the work, even though the original contract specifications had required Galaga to maintain its own minimum fleet to guarantee operational reliability. The comptroller's office characterizes this as presumed favoritism and notes that payments were approved without adequate technical justification. Seven other officials—Lilia Flores Bancho, Juan Pestana Uribe, William García Velásquez, Edward Alarcón González, Roberto Montenegro Vega, Yuvitza Aguilar, and Jesús Félix Atuncar—also face presumed administrative and criminal responsibilities in connection with these irregularities.
The comptroller has recommended that the ONPE itself initiate disciplinary proceedings against all ten officials. The office has also asked Peru's Anti-Corruption Prosecutor to open formal legal cases and requested that the National Justice Council take note of the findings regarding Corvetto's conduct as the agency's leader. Corvetto's legal representative, Julio Arbizu, declined to comment. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor is already investigating Corvetto separately on related grounds.
When contacted, the ONPE initially did not respond. Later, the agency confirmed it had received the comptroller's report and stated that its General Management had instructed its Technical Secretariat for Disciplinary Administrative Procedures to ask all implicated officials to clarify their individual responsibilities. The interim head of the ONPE, Bernardo Pachas, received the report on May 25th, as did María Teresa Cabrera, president of the National Justice Council, and Mario Luna Ramos, the prosecutor specializing in corruption cases. The investigation now moves into the hands of these institutions, each with the power to pursue different forms of accountability.
Citas Notables
The comptroller found that deficiencies in electoral material distribution affected the right to vote of 55,261 citizens— Comptroller General of the Republic, control report
Corvetto's legal representative declined to comment on the findings— Julio Arbizu, Corvetto's legal counsel
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does an election material distribution problem become a criminal matter?
Because it's not just logistics—it's the right to vote. When 55,000 people can't cast ballots because materials didn't arrive, that's a violation of a fundamental right. The comptroller found evidence that officials knew about the delays and didn't act, and that a private company may have been favored in ways that made the problem worse.
What does it mean that Galaga used 437 borrowed vehicles instead of its own fleet?
The contract required the company to have its own vehicles to guarantee reliability. Instead, they scrambled to borrow from others. The comptroller sees this as a sign the contract terms were written loosely on purpose—possibly to help Galaga win the bid. It suggests the officials who drafted those terms knew what they were doing.
Is Corvetto the only one being held responsible?
No. Nine other officials face charges, including two senior managers who drafted the contract terms. But Corvetto, as the chief, bears responsibility for not stopping the problem once it became clear materials weren't arriving on time.
What happens now?
The comptroller has passed the findings to three institutions: the ONPE itself, which can fire people; the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, which can bring criminal charges; and the National Justice Council, which oversees judges. Each can act independently. Corvetto's lawyer has said nothing, but the prosecutor is already investigating him separately.
Did anyone actually go to jail?
Not yet. These are findings of presumed responsibility. Criminal charges and convictions are separate steps that come next, if the prosecutor decides to pursue them.