Saleh Carlos Salvador Heresi Chicoma (born February 16, 1966) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. Throughout his political career, he served as mayor of San Miguel from 2003 to 2014, member of the Peruvian Congress from 2016 to 2020, and Minister of Justice and Human Rights at the start of Martín Vizcarra administration, in 2018.
Heresi started his political career with the Christian People's Party in the San Miguel District, serving as councilman from 1990 to 1992, and eventually as mayor from 2003 to 2014. Heresi ended leaving the party to found Peruvians for Change in 2011. Following a failed bid for Mayor of Lima in 2014, placing fourth with 5.6% of the popular vote, Heresi was elected to the Peruvian Congress at the 2016 general election.
During his congressional term, Heresi aligned with president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, but the PPK parliamentary caucus proved to be unstable after the Kuczynski's downfall and Martín Vizcarra's accession to the presidency. Heresi was appointed as Minister of Justice and Human Rights in April 2018, but lasted only three months in office following the revelation of indirect involvement in the National Council of the Magistrature's scandal, in which Heresi was caught in communication with the disgraced Supreme Court justice, César Hinostroza. Heresi was eventually fired by Vizcarra in July 2018.
Following his disgraceful exit from the government, Heresi aligned with the more conservative side of the PPK parliamentary caucus, eventually leaving the caucus in November 2018. His party changed its official name in February 2019, and he continued serving as secretary general. His congressional term would partially come to an end on September 30, 2019, with the dissolution of the Peruvian Congress. Opposing Vizcarra's decision, he unsuccessfully tried to regain his seat at the 2020 parliamentary snap election. After only attaining a low share of votes, he served in the congressional Permanent Assembly as Second Vice President of Congress through March 16, 2020, quitting his party and announcing his retirement from politics.
In January 2021, Heresi announced his political comeback as he registered in Alliance for Progress, but left the party shortly after as he joined Podemos Perú. He is currently running for a non-consecutive fourth term as mayor of San Miguel at the 2022 regional and municipal elections.
Early life and education
Salvador Heresi was born into a middle-class family on February 16, 1966, in the Jesús María District. He concluded his primary and secondary education at the district's San Antonio de Padua School. Upon graduation, he enrolled in the University of San Martín de Porres, in 1983. He attaining his law degree in 1991, specializing in municipal law.
During his law school years, Heresi registered in 1985 in the centre-right Christian People's Party. He served as Deputy Secretary of Doctrine from 1986 to 1989, Secretary of Youth from 1989 to 1992, and Secretary of Public Administration from 1989 to 1993. As the party formed part of the Democratic Front coalition, he was elected as San Miguel District Councilman in 1989 municipal elections. Heresi served in the municipality through 1992.
Political career
During his year at the San Miguel District Council, Heresi simultaneously served as Deputy Director of Juridical Affairs at the Provincial Municipality of Callao, and from 1993 to 1994, as Director-General of Transportation. In 1996, he transferred to the Chorrillos District Municipality, serving in the position of General Secretary until 1998.
At the 1998 municipal elections, Heresi made his first bid for Mayor of San Miguel District. Although he placed second with 35.8% of the popular vote, he secured a prominent position at local level. Four years later, Heresi won the mayorship with 42.1% of the popular vote. He was reelected in 2006 and 2010, with ample majorities. Although he enjoyed success as mayor, he was harshly criticized for his management and questioned for integrity in the role. Among his controversial actions as mayor, in 2018 (four years into the end of his last term), Channel N (8) revealed a complaint against Heresi for 150 undercover reports that were paid to improve his image as mayor of San Miguel, alleging payments of approximately 400,000 soles for the news reports. He was succeeded in 2014 by one of his councilmen, Eduardo Bless.
Heresi left the Christian People's Party in February 2010, after his bid for mayor of Lima with the party did not generate traction. Following the 2011 general election, Heresi founded in 2014 with Pedro Pablo Kuczynski the Peruvians for Change party, for the latter to run for President of Peru at the 2016 general election.