We can be very good friends, but we operate under professional discretion
In Peru, a recording has surfaced that places Interior Minister Juan José Santivañez at an uncomfortable intersection of personal relationships and institutional power. On May 25th, he allegedly asked a lawyer friend via WhatsApp for a confidential document tied to a disciplinary investigation into former police colonel Harvey Colchado — a case connected to a politically charged raid on President Boluarte's residence. The minister denies wrongdoing, but the episode raises enduring questions about where the boundaries of power end and the reach of private interest begins.
- An audio recording broadcast by investigative program Punto Final reveals the Interior Minister casually requesting a sensitive legal document through a personal contact, as though institutional walls were merely inconvenient.
- The document in question concerns a disciplinary probe into Harvey Colchado, a former anti-corruption police chief whose case is entangled with the politically explosive Rolex scandal surrounding President Dina Boluarte.
- The lawyer who received the request confirmed the audio's authenticity but refused to hand over the document, citing professional ethics — a small but significant act of institutional resistance.
- Santivañez responded through an official ministry statement, framing the exchange as a private conversation between compadres and questioning how the audio was obtained, while conspicuously stopping short of denying the request itself.
- The incident lands in an already tense political climate, deepening scrutiny of the Interior Ministry and leaving unanswered whether this was a lapse in judgment or a deliberate attempt to monitor a sensitive investigation.
On May 25th of this year, Peru's Interior Minister Juan José Santivañez sent a WhatsApp message to a lawyer named Estefano Miranda. The tone was friendly — almost apologetic — but the request was not: he wanted a resolution that had formally opened a disciplinary investigation into Harvey Colchado, the former head of the police unit dedicated to complex crimes. Santivañez framed the ask as a favor for a journalist friend. The audio of this exchange surfaced weeks later on the investigative program Punto Final, and the questions it raised were immediate.
Colchado's disciplinary case grew out of a raid on President Dina Boluarte's residence during the Rolex scandal, in which police deployed a battering ram under disputed circumstances. The investigation was being handled by the National Police Inspectorate. That the minister overseeing national security would seek confidential details about this case through informal, personal channels pointed either to poor judgment or something more deliberate.
Miranda confirmed the audio was real and that the request had been made — but said he refused to comply. Despite their close friendship, he explained, professional discretion prevented him from sharing confidential information. His refusal created at least one barrier between the minister's apparent interest and the investigation file itself.
Santivañez responded through an official statement, describing the conversation as private and protected by the bonds of their personal relationship — they are compadres, a term carrying deep social weight in Peru. He insisted nothing illegal was discussed, while also questioning how the recording had been obtained. The statement was careful and legalistic, and notably did not deny that the request had been made.
The episode touches several raw nerves in Peru's current political moment: a polarizing former police official, a scandal implicating the president's inner circle, and a ministry already under scrutiny. What remains unresolved is whether Santivañez's outreach was an isolated act of curiosity or part of a more sustained interest in the Colchado case — and what either answer would mean for the integrity of the institutions he now leads.
On May 25th of this year, Peru's Interior Minister Juan José Santivañez sent a WhatsApp message to Estefano Miranda, a lawyer, asking for a specific document. The message was casual, almost apologetic in tone—"Brother, sorry to bother you"—but what he was asking for was not casual at all. He wanted a resolution that had opened a disciplinary investigation into Harvey Colchado, a former police colonel who once headed the division responsible for investigating complex crimes. The minister framed the request as coming from a journalist friend who needed the information. The audio of this exchange surfaced in late June on the investigative program Punto Final, raising immediate questions about why a sitting interior minister would be seeking confidential details about an active police investigation.
Colchado's disciplinary case stemmed from events surrounding a raid on the residence of President Dina Boluarte in connection with the Rolex scandal. During that operation, police used what is known locally as a "Torito"—a battering ram—and the circumstances of its deployment became the subject of official scrutiny. The investigation into Colchado's conduct was being handled through the National Police Inspectorate, the internal oversight body. That Santivañez, now holding one of the country's most sensitive security portfolios, would reach out to obtain details about this investigation suggested either a personal interest in Colchado's case or something more troubling.
Miranda, the lawyer who received the message, confirmed that the audio was authentic. He also confirmed that Santivañez had indeed made the request. But he said he refused to provide the document. In a statement, Miranda explained that while he and the minister had a friendly relationship, professional ethics prevented him from sharing confidential information. "We can be very good friends," he said, "but we're both lawyers and we operate under professional discretion." His refusal to comply with the request, at least, created a barrier between the minister's apparent interest and access to the investigation file.
When confronted with the audio, Santivañez's response came through an official ministry statement rather than a direct personal comment. He characterized the conversation with Miranda as private, protected by their personal relationship—they are compadres, he noted, a term denoting deep social bonds in Peruvian culture. He insisted that nothing in their exchanges involved illegal conduct. But he also raised a question about the audio itself: he said he could not verify how it had been obtained, whether through lawful means or not, and therefore could not confirm its authenticity. The statement was careful, legalistic, and notably did not deny that he had made the request.
The episode sits at an intersection of several sensitive issues in Peru's current political moment. Colchado remains a polarizing figure—respected by some in law enforcement for his work on high-profile cases, but viewed by others as a symbol of police overreach. The Rolex case, involving allegations that the president's security detail stole luxury watches during an operation, has been a source of political tension. And the Interior Ministry itself has faced scrutiny over its handling of security matters and its relationship with the police force. That the minister would seek information about an investigation into a former police official, using informal channels and a personal intermediary, suggested either poor judgment or something more deliberate. The fact that he did so while already serving in his current post made the timing particularly awkward. What remains unclear is whether this was an isolated request born of curiosity or part of a broader pattern of interest in the Colchado case.
Citas Notables
We can be very good friends, but we're both lawyers and we operate under professional discretion— Estefano Miranda, former lawyer for Harvey Colchado
The conversation was private and contained no illegal content, and I cannot verify how the audio was obtained— Interior Minister Juan José Santivañez, through official ministry statement
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would an interior minister need to ask a lawyer for a police disciplinary file? Couldn't he just request it through official channels?
That's the question everyone's asking. He could have. The fact that he didn't—that he went through a private WhatsApp message to Colchado's former lawyer—suggests he wanted it quietly, without a paper trail.
And the lawyer refused. Does that make Santivañez look better or worse?
Worse, probably. If Miranda had just handed it over, you could argue it was routine information-sharing among professionals. The refusal makes it look like Santivañez was asking for something he shouldn't be asking for.
The minister says the conversation was private and contained nothing illegal. Is that a real defense?
It's a deflection. He's not denying he asked. He's saying the conversation was personal, so it's nobody's business. But when you're Interior Minister, your private conversations about police investigations become public business.
What does Colchado have to do with all this? Why does the minister care about his case?
That's what nobody knows. Colchado's a controversial figure—some see him as a good cop, others as someone who abused his power. But the fact that the minister is interested in his disciplinary file suggests there's a relationship there, or at least a reason to protect him.
And if this audio hadn't leaked?
We'd never know it happened. That's the real problem.