Mercedes Cabanillas

Who is Mercedes Cabanillas?

Mercedes Cabanillas Bustamante is a Peruvian Congresswoman of the Peruvian Aprista Party representing the Electoral District of Lima. Minister of Interior of Peru.

Her parents were Armando Cabanillas Olaechea and Emma Bustamante. She studied Education.

From 1987-90 under Alan García's government she served as Minister of Education. In 1995 Cabanillas ran for the Presidency of Peru under the APRA ticket winning only 4.11% of the popular vote.

She was also the President of Congress. On February 19, 2009 she was appointed Peruvian Minister of Interior. As such she is in charge of the Police forces that were sent to the amazon region of Bagua to repress native Indians who were protesting against the government that was giving away their ancestral lands to foreign corporations for oil drilling, mining and logging. As a result of the violent intervention of the heavily armed police and military forces over 50 Indian have been killed and nearly 200 wounded. As minister of the Interior she gave the order to attack the Indians.