Mario Torres Pérez elected dean of Arequipa Architects College amid Ágora project controversy

Mario Torres Pérez was elected new dean of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Arequipa with 880 votes, defeating Sandro Bellido who received 665 votes. The election involved 1,647 members of the professional body, and the new board, to be sworn in August, includes Álvaro del Carpio Galarza as vicedecano and other officers for economics, guild affairs, technology and welfare. Torres said his priority will be an administrative and financial re‑engineering to improve transparency and accountability.

Torres' election has been contentious because of his prior role as an ad‑hoc delegate of the Ministry of Culture in the technical commission that reviewed the Ágora real‑estate project. He defended the commission’s process, noting that the project site lies outside the protected historic zones of Arequipa and Yanahuara, a view supported by Harold Loli Rosales of the regional cultural office. The commission, which included representatives of the Culture Ministry, the Architects College, and the municipal government, issued only a technical opinion, not final approval. Torres disputes several technical observations made against the project, asserting the plan comprises four floors, not six as critics claim.