Informality, Corruption and Impunity as Structural Threats to Peru's National Security

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56221/spt.v4i2.83

Keywords:

Informality, corruption, impunity, national security, governance, citizenship, institutional reform

Abstract

This study analyzes how informality, corruption and impunity, deeply rooted in Peru's political and social culture, constitute structural threats that undermine national security, weaken democratic institutions and put the country's development at risk. Through a qualitative approach and the critical analysis of specialized literature, official sources and journalistic reports, we identify the systemic interconnections between these three corrosive forces and their cross-cutting impact on the economy, governance, citizen cohesion and the national security and defense system. It is argued that these dynamics favor the expansion of illegal economies, weaken the citizen's link with the State and erode democratic sustainability. The main objective is to contribute to the formulation of multisectoral reforms that restore and strengthen the constitutional order, promote a culture of legality and consolidate a national project based on shared civic values and inalienable principles. It also highlights the role of the Armed Forces (Armed Forces) as institutions that shape values, discipline and national cohesion in the face of a society affected by state fragmentation and the weakening of civic commitment.

Author Biographies

Manolo Eduardo Villagra

Lieutenant Colonel of the Peruvian Army with a solid academic and professional background in the fields of security, defense and strategy. D. in Development and Strategic Security from the Centro de Altos Estudios Nacionales (CAEN), he also holds three master’s degrees: in Military Sciences with mention in Strategic Planning and Decision Making; in Management and Technological Innovation; and in Educational Sciences. He also holds a degree in Military Sciences and in Administration, and has completed diplomas in National Security and Defense, Leadership and Strategic Planning, and Military History and Strategic Thinking. In addition, he has been a member of the XVIII Joint Command and Staff Program at the Armed Forces Joint College (ESCOFFAA) and holds specializations in Global Challenges, Cybersecurity and Governance from the Steven J. Green International School of Public Policy at Florida International University (FIU), United States of America. Likewise, he was part of the Peruvian delegation of CAEN in the academic mobility held in Beijing, at the National Defense University (NDU) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In the academic and management field, he has served as head of the Department of Sciences and Humanities and of the Cadet Evaluation Section at the Military School of Chorrillos (EMCH). In addition, he collaborates as a researcher in several academic and professional publications, among them El Investigador of the EMCH, the Academic and Scientific magazines of the Army War College (ESGE-EPG), as well as in the Army’s institutional media: Actualidad Militar, Expresión Militar; as well as Pensamiento Conjunto of the ESCOFFAA, Ciencia e Investigación en Defensa, Cuadernos de Trabajo and the magazine Seguridad y Desarrollo of the CAEN. José del Carmen Marín Arista” Research Institute of CAEN and is an analyst and senior researcher at the Peruvian Armuy Center for Strategic Studies (CEEEP). During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of the analysis and strategic planning team activated at the ESGE-EPG, contributing with substantial proposals for the articulation of the State in the face of complex crises and multidimensional threats that compromise security and national governance. As for his teaching work, he is a lecturer and advisor on issues related to: strategy, foresight, geostrategy, threats to national security and strategic planning for development. At the operational level, he has participated in counter-terrorist operations in the Upper Huallaga Valley (2002-2005) and in the La Convención sector of the VRAEM (2013-2014), as well as in military actions against illegal mining in La Pampa, Madre de Dios region (2019). In 2023, he served as a Ground Operations Officer in the C-3 (Operations and Military Actions) of the Joint Staff of the VRAEM Special Command. He is currently serving in the Huancané Garrison, Puno region, within the 4th Mountain Brigade of the III Army Division.

Oscar Luis Calle Pérez

Major General of the Peruvian Army with an outstanding career in the military, strategic and academic fields. He holds a doctorate in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Public Management and in Business Administration with mention in General Management. In addition, he has complemented his training with diplomas in defense, national security, intelligence and human resources, as well as the High Command Course of the Peruvian Army. Throughout his career, he has held high-level positions in operational and strategic management, among which stand out: General Commander of the Second Division of the Peruvian Army, Commander of the Joint Intelligence and Special Operations Command (CIOEC) and Joint Chief of Staff of the VRAEM Special Command (CE-VRAEM). He has also represented Peru as Head of the Delegation to the Inter-American Defense Board of the Organization of American States (OAS - USA). In the academic and training field, he has directed the Infantry School and the Parachute School of the Army, and has served as Deputy Academic Director of the Military School of Chorrillos. For his outstanding work, he has been decorated with the Peruvian Cross Order of Military Merit in its different grades, the Military Order Francisco Bolognesi in the grade of Knight and the War Cross for Military Valor. He has also been recognized as a Qualified Defender of the Homeland for his participation in the Alto Cenepa Conflict (1995) and in the Chavín de Huántar Hostage Rescue Operation. With a career that combines operational excellence with dedication to training and the development of defense policies, General Oscar Luis Calle Perez stands as an authority on strategy and security, contributing to the strengthening and modernization of the EP.

Diana Selene Rosell Claudet

Multidisciplinary professional with a solid background in education, law, strategic security and sustainable development. She is a secondary school teacher specialized in Language and Literature, as well as a graduate in Law and Political Science, which allows her to address social issues with a strategic and conflict resolution oriented approach. She has a high-level academic background, having completed doctoral studies in Development and Strategic Security, as well as a master’s degree in Public Administration and Management with a mention in National Defense, at the Center for Advanced National Studies (CAEN). In addition, he has complemented his preparation with international specializations in cybersecurity, public policy and public management at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University (FIU), United States (USA). She also has training in negotiation and mediation for dispute resolution from the School of Negotiators of the International Center for Administration and Commerce (CIAC). As an entrepreneur in the real estate sector and consultant in sustainable development project management, she focuses on promoting productive chains, taking advantage of local opportunities and strengthening communities; her experience includes the strategic management of community relations in the mining sector, ensuring the obtaining and renewal of the social license to operate, under national and international legal standards. Her capacity for intervention in social conflicts allows her to design and execute political, social and communicative strategies, guaranteeing the prevention and effective management of disputes through collective negotiation and inter-institutional agreements between the public sector, private companies and communities. At the same time, she is a proofreader in the production of texts, essays and scientific articles, with publications in the Scientific Journal of Security and Development of CAEN.

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Published

2025-08-02

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): May to August

Section

Artículos

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