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Arequipa Mayor Faces Criminal Complaint Over SIT Fare Hike

The filing argues the bus system’s contract blocks tariff changes before full operation without outside review.

Overview

  • Provincial councilor Rocío Mango filed an anti-corruption complaint naming Mayor Víctor Hugo Rivera, transport chief Milagros Chirinos, and SIT operators over raising the fare from S/1.00 to S/1.30.
  • The case alleges four crimes: aggravated collusion, incompatible negotiation, usurpation of functions, and omission of duties.
  • It says the increase relied on a “direct-dealing” act instead of a contract addendum vetted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Comptroller, violating a clause that bars tariff changes in the preoperational phase.
  • Mango argues concessionaires failed to add 1,749 new buses as required by the contract, leaving riders paying more without clear service gains.
  • She submitted a roughly 1,000-page dossier with contracts and a Comptroller report, says the city did not provide the technical reports cited for the hike, and prosecutors have not announced next steps.