Peruvian senator‑elect Rafael López Aliaga refuses to take seat

Rafael López Aliaga, leader of Renovación Popular and former mayor of Lima, was elected to the Peruvian Senate for the 2026‑2031 term but has formally declined to assume the position. In a letter to Congress president Fernando Rospigliosi, he asked the legislature to notify the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE) that he will not take his credentials and to call the party’s substitute candidate to fill the seat.

Aliaga argues that the deadline for submitting the required income and asset declarations passed on 30 June, and that the congressional regulations only forbid resignation after a senator has been sworn in, leaving a procedural gap for elected members who renounce before inauguration. He seeks to run for deputy mayor of Lima on Luis Rubio’s ticket in the October municipal elections. Legal experts note that while the JNE’s role ends with the proclamation and credentialing of elected officials, the Congress will ultimately decide how to address the vacant curul, as no specific sanctions exist for an elected senator who does not juramentar.