Dionisio Romero Paoletti —Chairman of the Board at Credicorp Ltd.— on Monday revealed to
that he had contributed $3.65 million to fund the presidential campaign of Keiko Fujimori in 2011.
In his statement, the businessman said that "it was undoubtedly an exceptional figure which is explained by the context of the equally exceptional threat posed by (Hugo Chavez's) Chavismo."
The race was then won by candidate Ollanta Humala, a leftist who in his first bid (2006) had been publicly supported by the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
After testifying before the prosecutor, Romero Paoletti sent a letter to all Credicorp Ltd. employees, explaining the reasons for having financially supported Fujimori's 2011 presidential campaign.
"In the elapsed time, I have reflected on several occasions about our decisions, and I have always reached the same conclusion that making these contributions to Fuerza 2011 was a responsible decision in the face of a threat such as that represented by Chavismo to Peruvians and to the economy of Peru," the letter said.
Romero Paoletti explained that the contributions had been made in cash and that they had not made public the delivery of them for fear of reprisals that could emerge from the political side associated with Chavez.
2016
The businessperson mentioned that —under the same conception— in 2016 Credicorp also contributed to the campaigns of Peruanos por el Kambio (Peruvians for Change) led by former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (PPK), and Fuerza Popular headed by Keiko Fujimori, in her second presidential bid.
"Thus, the three subsidiaries of Credicorp Ltd. and my own family contributed a total of around US$650,000 to the campaigns of PPK and Fuerza Popular, at different times in the first and second rounds," he said.
Romero Paoletti is Chairman of the Board at Grupo Romero, Credicorp, and Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP).
Keiko Fujimori
The Judicial Branch had declared well-founded the request made by the Prosecutor's Office to imprison Fujimori because of the danger of obstruction of justice that implied keeping her free.
(END) RMCH/MVB