Edwin Donayre
Encyclopedia
General Edwin Donayre is a retired Peruvian military officer and former Commanding General of the Peruvian Army (2006–2008). General Donayre previously served as commander of the Center Military Region, the Southern Military Region and the 2nd Infantry Brigade. He assumed the role of commanding general on December 5, 2006, replacing General César Reinoso, who resigned amid accusations of corruption. During his tenure, Donayre was accused of corruption and obstructing inquiries into human rights violations. He was also at the center of an international controversy when a video surfaced in the media showing him making anti-Chilean remarks. He retired on December 5, 2008 and was replaced by General Otto Guibovich
.
in the highlands of Peru. He attended San Juan Bosco school, a Salesian institution in his hometown, and studied at a seminary
for two years before studying two years of Chemical Engineering at the San Cristóbal of Huamanga University
. Donayre's military career started at the Chorrillos Military School
, where his first year grades earned him a scholarship to continue his formation in Argentina. At the National Military College
in Buenos Aires he graduated with honors as a military engineer
. In active duty Donayre has served four times in regions under state of emergency
due to Shining Path
guerrilla activity and five times in frontier regions. He has held several command posts, among them commander of the 20th Combat Engineer Battalion, director of the Army Engineer School, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, commander of the Southern Military Region, and commander of the Central Military Region.
criticized Donayre's designation as irregular because at that time he was not serving as general of any of the three major army divisions as stipulated by Peruvian law. As commander of the Army, Donayre was also accused of acquiring 50,000 American
-made MRE
s — military rations — to supply troops deployed against Shining Path
guerrillas in the Apurímac
and Ene
river valleys, instead of acquiring cheaper, locally-made alternatives. An attempt to buy 50,000 more rations led to an inquiry by the Ministry of Defense.
According to a report by the army inspector general, Francisco Vargas, Donayre requested 80,000 gallons of fuel without clear justification when he was commander of the Southern Military Region, between January and September 2006, and diverted part of it to army headquarters in Lima
. This led to an investigation by the anti-corruption prosecutor, Marlene Berrú, but, despite being summoned six times, Donayre did not show up at her office. He finally attended her request on November 25, 2008; in his testimony he denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the Southern Military Region actually received less fuel under his command than in the previous year.
The general's stance on human rights issues has also been quite controversial. It has been reported that he was behind the Army's refusal to provide any information on the 1984 massacre at the village of Putis
. Requests issued on June 2008 by prosecutor Rubén López for a detailed report on the military personnel deployed there at that time were answered the following month by the Defense Ministry stating that the Army did not have any information on the subject in its archives. Donayre also joined a campaign to raise funds to defend armed forces personnel accused of committing human rights abuses during the internal conflict in Peru
.
video in which the general said "We are not going to let Chileans pass by (...) [A] Chilean who enters will not leave. Or will leave in a coffin. And if there aren't sufficient coffins, there will be plastic bags". The video, dated to 2006 or 2007, was recorded during a party at a friend's house attended by army officials and civilians. These comments caused widespread indignation in Chile, making headlines in the El Mercurio
newspaper. The Peruvian president, Alan García, called his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet
, to explain that these remarks did not reflect official Peruvian policy. Bachelet declared herself satisfied with the explanations.
On November 28, in response to this incident, a Chilean government spokesman stated that a scheduled visit to Chile by the Peruvian defense minister, Antero Flores Aráoz
, might be inopportune given the circumstances. The following day, Flores Aráoz announced his decision to postpone his trip after conferring with the Foreign Affairs Minister, José García Belaúnde. Several members of the Peruvian government commented on the spokesman's remarks including president García who said the country "did not accept pressure or orders from anybody outside of Peru". Donayre defended the video, declaring that Peruvian citizens have a right to say whatever they want at private gatherings and that even though he is scheduled to retire on December 5 he will not be forced to resign early under external pressure. As a consequence of these exchanges, tensions between Peru and Chile rose again; president Bachelet met with top aides on December 1 to discuss the matter and possible courses of action. Meanwhile, in Lima, Congressman Gustavo Espinoza
became the center of attention as the main suspect of leaking the video to Chilean press and politicians. Donayre ended his tenure as Commanding General of the Army on December 5, 2008, as expected; president Alan García appointed General Otto Guibovich
as his replacement.
Otto Guibovich
Otto Napoleón Guibovich Arteaga is a Peruvian soldier and the current Commanding General of the Peruvian Army. General Guibovich previously served as commander of the Center Military Region...
.
Military career
Edwin Donayre was born on January 8, 1952 in the city of AyacuchoAyacucho
Ayacucho is the capital city of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.Ayacucho is famous for its 33 churches, which represent one for each year of Jesus's life. Ayacucho has large religious celebrations, especially during the Holy Week of Easter...
in the highlands of Peru. He attended San Juan Bosco school, a Salesian institution in his hometown, and studied at a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
for two years before studying two years of Chemical Engineering at the San Cristóbal of Huamanga University
San Cristóbal of Huamanga University
The San Cristóbal of Huamanga National University is a public university located in the city of Ayacucho in southern Perú....
. Donayre's military career started at the Chorrillos Military School
Chorrillos Military School
The Chorrillos Military School is the institution in charge of the undergraduate education of officers of the Peruvian Army. It is located at Chorrillos, Lima, Peru, hence its name. Its current director is Brigade General Walter Martos Ruiz. It was also the alma mater of Manuel Noriega....
, where his first year grades earned him a scholarship to continue his formation in Argentina. At the National Military College
National Military College
The National Military College is the institution in charge of the undergraduate education of officers of the Argentine Army. It is located at El Palomar, Buenos Aires....
in Buenos Aires he graduated with honors as a military engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
. In active duty Donayre has served four times in regions under state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
due to Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
guerrilla activity and five times in frontier regions. He has held several command posts, among them commander of the 20th Combat Engineer Battalion, director of the Army Engineer School, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, commander of the Southern Military Region, and commander of the Central Military Region.
Commanding General
Donayre's tenure as Commanding General of the army was controversial from the start due to corruption allegations and an international incident with Chile. Opposition leader Ollanta HumalaOllanta Humala
Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso is a Peruvian politician and the President of Peru. Humala, who previously served as an army officer, lost the presidential election in 2006 but won the 2011 presidential election in a run-off vote...
criticized Donayre's designation as irregular because at that time he was not serving as general of any of the three major army divisions as stipulated by Peruvian law. As commander of the Army, Donayre was also accused of acquiring 50,000 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-made MRE
MRE
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat — commonly known as the MRE — is a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging bought by the United States military for its service members for use in combat or other field conditions where organized food facilities are not available...
s — military rations — to supply troops deployed against Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
guerrillas in the Apurímac
Apurímac River
The Apurímac River rises from glacial meltwater of the ridge of Nevado Mismi, a mountain in the Arequipa Province in southern Peru.The Apurímac is the source of the world's largest river system, the Amazon River...
and Ene
Ene River
The Ene River is a Peruvian river on the eastern slopes of the South American Andes.The Río Ene is part of the headwaters of the Amazon River whose origin is at the Nevado Mismi south of Cuzco where it first becomes Apurímac River, then the Ene River and Tambo River before its waters meet the...
river valleys, instead of acquiring cheaper, locally-made alternatives. An attempt to buy 50,000 more rations led to an inquiry by the Ministry of Defense.
According to a report by the army inspector general, Francisco Vargas, Donayre requested 80,000 gallons of fuel without clear justification when he was commander of the Southern Military Region, between January and September 2006, and diverted part of it to army headquarters in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. This led to an investigation by the anti-corruption prosecutor, Marlene Berrú, but, despite being summoned six times, Donayre did not show up at her office. He finally attended her request on November 25, 2008; in his testimony he denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the Southern Military Region actually received less fuel under his command than in the previous year.
The general's stance on human rights issues has also been quite controversial. It has been reported that he was behind the Army's refusal to provide any information on the 1984 massacre at the village of Putis
Putis
Putis is a rural hamlet in Southern Peru. It is located in the Santillana District of the Huanta Province in the Ayacucho Region. Putis is known for being the location of mass graves dating back to the 1980s, where 123 men, women and children are buried....
. Requests issued on June 2008 by prosecutor Rubén López for a detailed report on the military personnel deployed there at that time were answered the following month by the Defense Ministry stating that the Army did not have any information on the subject in its archives. Donayre also joined a campaign to raise funds to defend armed forces personnel accused of committing human rights abuses during the internal conflict in Peru
Internal conflict in Peru
It has been estimated that nearly 70,000 people died in the internal conflict in Peru that started in 1980 and, although still ongoing, had greatly wound down by 2000. The principal actors in the war were the Shining Path , the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and the government of Peru.A great...
.
International controversy
Donayre became the center of an international controversy on November 24, 2008, when Peruvian media showed a YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video in which the general said "We are not going to let Chileans pass by (...) [A] Chilean who enters will not leave. Or will leave in a coffin. And if there aren't sufficient coffins, there will be plastic bags". The video, dated to 2006 or 2007, was recorded during a party at a friend's house attended by army officials and civilians. These comments caused widespread indignation in Chile, making headlines in the El Mercurio
El Mercurio
El Mercurio is a conservative Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. Its Santiago edition is considered the country's paper-of-record and its Valparaíso edition is the oldest daily in the Spanish language currently in circulation. El Mercurio is owned by El Mercurio S.A.P...
newspaper. The Peruvian president, Alan García, called his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
, to explain that these remarks did not reflect official Peruvian policy. Bachelet declared herself satisfied with the explanations.
On November 28, in response to this incident, a Chilean government spokesman stated that a scheduled visit to Chile by the Peruvian defense minister, Antero Flores Aráoz
Antero Flores Aráoz
Ántero Flores Aráoz Esparza is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He is a leader of the Christian People's Party and a member of National Unity....
, might be inopportune given the circumstances. The following day, Flores Aráoz announced his decision to postpone his trip after conferring with the Foreign Affairs Minister, José García Belaúnde. Several members of the Peruvian government commented on the spokesman's remarks including president García who said the country "did not accept pressure or orders from anybody outside of Peru". Donayre defended the video, declaring that Peruvian citizens have a right to say whatever they want at private gatherings and that even though he is scheduled to retire on December 5 he will not be forced to resign early under external pressure. As a consequence of these exchanges, tensions between Peru and Chile rose again; president Bachelet met with top aides on December 1 to discuss the matter and possible courses of action. Meanwhile, in Lima, Congressman Gustavo Espinoza
Gustavo Espinoza
Gustavo Dacio Espinoza Soto is a Peruvian politician and a Congressman representing Lambayeque for the 2006-2011 term. Espinoza was elected as a member of the Union for Peru party, but left it after the election to form the Peruvian Democratic Party along with fellow Congress members Carlos Torres...
became the center of attention as the main suspect of leaking the video to Chilean press and politicians. Donayre ended his tenure as Commanding General of the Army on December 5, 2008, as expected; president Alan García appointed General Otto Guibovich
Otto Guibovich
Otto Napoleón Guibovich Arteaga is a Peruvian soldier and the current Commanding General of the Peruvian Army. General Guibovich previously served as commander of the Center Military Region...
as his replacement.