Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Petroperú’s New Board Chief Confronts 2019 Harassment Claim and Odebrecht Inquiry

The choice tests government vetting during a high-stakes rescue of the state oil firm.

Overview

  • Roger Arévalo, newly named to lead Petroperú’s board, faces public scrutiny after reports highlighted a 2019 police complaint for alleged sexual harassment and a separate corruption probe.
  • A police filing says a 20-year-old staffer accused him of repeated unwanted touching, hugs, and kisses in his San Isidro office, and prosecutors list the case as pending in a specialized unit for violence against women.
  • In the Odebrecht arbitration cases tied to the Interoceánica Sur highway, prosecutors say he worked as an economic expert whose reports helped the Brazilian company and harmed the state.
  • His appointment comes as Petroperú weighs a major reorganization that could split assets and bring a capital injection of up to US$2 billion to keep the company solvent.
  • Arévalo previously led Petroperú in 2005–2006 and is the uncle of former general manager Hugo Chávez Arévalo, who left after probes and a ban from public posts.