The architect Michael Romero Sotelo was sworn in yesterday as the new mayor of Lima, after on April 27 the National Elections Jury (JNE) declared Jorge Muñoz vacant in office, due to an infraction of the electoral law.
It was the new deputy mayor, Jheydi Quiroz, who took the oath of office at the Municipal Palace. The ceremony, which began minutes after 11 am, was attended by the president of Congress, María del Carmen Alva; the former mayor Jorge Muñoz, congressmen, such as Alejandro Cavero and Norma Yarrow, and various district mayors of Metropolitan Lima.
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In his first speech as mayor, Romero indicated that in the remainder of the 2019-2022 municipal mandate, its purpose will be to continue promoting projects for the population. Along these lines, he said that he will promote dialogue and coordination with the Central Government, “which has the resources for the works that the people need.”
“Fate has allowed me to be the one to take over and close the deal. Time is short and citizens only expect results“, he pointed.
promises
Romero He specified that his management will focus on developing solutions for Lima under five axes. One of them is the grouping of the districts of the capital into five zones of similar size, which are self-sufficient and sustainable. Likewise, he highlighted the need to generate a multimodal road structure, since in two years the port of Chancay would be ready.
He also indicated that he will coordinate with Sedapal water and drainage works for popular settlements, so that these are taken into account by the next administration. Meanwhile, he made it clear that he will continue with the Master Plan for the Historic Center of Lima for its architectural and social recovery.
Lastly, he promised to conclude and deliver the works that were carried out during Jorge Muñoz’s management, such as the Monitor oval in La Molina (May), the northern expansion of the Metropolitan (July) and Pasamayito (August).
Viability
Lawyer José Manuel Villalobos, an expert in electoral law and local governments, told Trade what Romero It has not had and will not have enough time to plan any significant work or intervention in Lima, so it should focus on supervising the completion of the works already scheduled.
“Your job will be to ensure an orderly transfer of the position to the next administration. It should not make more promises or generate high expectations, just supervise that the works are completed according to the signed contract“, said.
Villalobos added that, in the case of Pasamayito, a considerable advance of the work is missing. “There you have to do constant monitoring and see if there are no problems in the technical file that could delay the work longer.“, he pointed.
Meanwhile, about grouping the districts of Lima into five zones, the specialist specified that since it is a legislative proposal, it will have to be approved in Congress, so Romero won’t be able to do much.
“It would be splitting Lima’s problems into five, they wouldn’t agree. The proposal to have a mayor seems much more viable to me“, I consider.
questions
Michael Romero Sotelo He has been questioned for his ties to real estate agencies and for the omission of this information in his resume when he was a candidate and in the affidavit of interests as an official.
Nor would he have reported on the links of his daughter, his brother and his nephews with six other companies in the same field.
It was in March of last year, during the protests against the change in the zoning of the Lurín valley, that the link between the then deputy mayor and the architecture firm Corporación Suyo was recently made public. The company had in its portfolio a set of industrial projects in that district.
Councilman Carlo Angeles told Trade that it will be the mayor himself who will have to respond and clarify these complaints “that weigh on him”.
For his part, José Manuel Villalobos indicated that Romero should point out that in his administration he is not going to promote “no zoning changes that could create a conflict of interest”.