A prosecutor who now defends the president he once investigated
En el Perú de hoy, donde la justicia y la política se entrelazan con una tensión casi irresoluble, la Junta Nacional de Justicia convoca al exfiscal José Domingo Pérez a una audiencia virtual el 26 de mayo para reconsiderar su no ratificación de marzo. Pérez, figura central de la lucha anticorrupción durante la era Lava Jato, ha transitado desde la fiscalía hacia la defensa de un expresidente investigado y el asesoramiento de un candidato presidencial. Esta audiencia no es solo un trámite institucional: es un espejo en el que el país observa cómo sus instituciones procesan la frontera entre el servidor público y el actor político.
- La JNJ, que en marzo votó por unanimidad no ratificar a Pérez como fiscal anticorrupción, ahora debe enfrentar su propio veredicto ante un recurso de reconsideración que pone en cuestión la firmeza de esa decisión.
- Pérez no esperó en silencio: asumió la defensa legal del expresidente Pedro Castillo y se incorporó al equipo técnico del candidato Roberto Sánchez, movimientos que redefinen su perfil público y complican cualquier lectura neutral de su caso.
- La audiencia virtual del 26 de mayo concentra una pregunta incómoda: ¿puede la JNJ evaluar el expediente de un exfiscal sin considerar las alianzas políticas que adoptó tras su salida?
- El resultado bifurca el futuro de Pérez de manera radical: la restitución lo devuelve al Ministerio Público como fiscal titular, mientras la confirmación de la no ratificación lo consolida como abogado privado y operador político.
José Domingo Pérez comparecerá virtualmente ante el pleno de la Junta Nacional de Justicia el martes 26 de mayo, en una audiencia que podría revertir la decisión unánime de marzo que puso fin a su carrera como fiscal anticorrupción. La citación, obtenida por RPP, lo convoca a las 12:30 p.m. para exponer su recurso de reconsideración.
Durante su trayectoria en la fiscalía, Pérez se convirtió en uno de los rostros más reconocibles de la lucha anticorrupción en el Perú. Desde la unidad especial Lava Jato, condujo investigaciones contra Keiko Fujimori, los expresidentes Alejandro Toledo y Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, la exalcaldesa Susana Villarán y el caso Metro de Lima, entre otros.
Tras su salida del Ministerio Público, Pérez no se retiró del escenario público. Asumió la defensa legal del expresidente Pedro Castillo y se integró al equipo técnico del candidato presidencial Roberto Sánchez, de Juntos por el Perú, reposicionándose en el centro de la política nacional desde un rol completamente distinto.
La audiencia del 26 de mayo representa un momento de inflexión. Si la JNJ revierte su postura, Pérez regresa como fiscal titular; si la confirma, su camino queda trazado como abogado privado y asesor político. Lo que aún no está claro es si el pleno considerará sus recientes vínculos políticos al deliberar, o si limitará su análisis a los méritos de su historial como fiscal. La decisión dirá mucho sobre cómo las instituciones judiciales peruanas navegan la difusa línea entre derecho y política.
José Domingo Pérez will appear before Peru's National Justice Board on Tuesday, May 26, in a virtual hearing that could reverse the institution's decision to bar him from continuing as an anti-corruption prosecutor. The summons, obtained by RPP, requires the former Lava Jato task force member to present his case to the full board at 12:30 p.m., arguing for reconsideration of the unanimous March decision that ended his tenure.
Pérez's career as a prosecutor made him one of Peru's most visible legal figures. He led investigations into some of the country's most prominent political figures: the presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, former presidents Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, former Lima mayor Susana Villarán, and the Metro de Lima corruption case. His work on the Lava Jato task force—the special unit created to pursue organized crime and corruption—established him as a central figure in Peru's anti-corruption efforts.
But in March, the National Justice Board voted unanimously not to ratify Pérez for another term as a prosecutor. The decision effectively removed him from the institution. Rather than fade from public life, Pérez pivoted sharply. He took on the legal defense of former president Pedro Castillo, a move that placed him at the center of one of Peru's most contentious political moments. He also joined the technical team of Roberto Sánchez, a presidential candidate running under the Juntos por el Perú banner.
These moves—defending a former president under investigation and advising a presidential candidate—have placed Pérez in a different kind of spotlight. The May 26 hearing represents a potential inflection point. If the board reconsiders and votes to reinstate him, Pérez would return to his position as a full-time prosecutor. If it confirms its March decision, his path forward remains as a private attorney and political operative.
The hearing itself will be brief and formal. Pérez will present arguments for why the board should reverse course. The board will then deliberate and issue a decision. What remains unclear is whether the board views Pérez's recent work—particularly his defense of Castillo—as relevant to its reconsideration, or whether it will evaluate his case solely on the merits of his prosecutorial record and qualifications. The outcome will signal how Peru's judicial institutions navigate the intersection of law and politics at a moment when both are deeply intertwined.
Notable Quotes
The board will decide whether to confirm Pérez's exclusion or reverse its March decision and allow his return to the Public Ministry— National Justice Board (implicit from summons and procedure)
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would the board reconsider a unanimous decision made just two months ago?
That's the real question. The summons itself suggests someone—likely Pérez—filed a formal appeal. But the timing is striking. He's now defending the former president and advising a presidential candidate. Whether that's why they're reconsidering or despite it, we don't know yet.
Is this common? Do judicial boards often reverse themselves?
It happens, but not often when the vote was unanimous. That suggests either new evidence has emerged, or there's been a shift in how board members view the case. Or both.
What's at stake for Pérez personally?
His career, essentially. As a prosecutor, he has institutional power and a salary. As a private attorney, he's dependent on clients. Right now he has clients—Castillo, Sánchez's campaign. But a prosecutor's badge carries weight in Peru that private practice doesn't.
And for Peru?
That's more complicated. If the board reinstates him, you have a prosecutor who's now entangled with a former president's defense and a presidential campaign. That raises questions about conflicts of interest and independence. If they confirm the non-ratification, you're saying the anti-corruption apparatus decided this particular prosecutor shouldn't continue—which also sends a message.
What does his recent work tell us about where his loyalties lie?
That's what the board will have to decide. Is he a lawyer doing his job—defending a client, advising a campaign? Or has he crossed a line that makes him unsuitable for prosecutorial work? Those aren't legal questions. They're political ones.