Michael Urtecho Explained

Michael Urtecho
Office1:Third Vice President of the Congress
Term Start1:26 July 2011
Term End1:26 July 2012
President1:Daniel Abugattás
Predecessor1:Eduardo Espinoza
Successor1:José Luna
Office2:Second Vice President of the Congress
Term Start2:26 July 2009
Term End2:26 July 2010
President2:Luis Alva Castro
Predecessor2:Álvaro Gutiérrez
Successor2:Alda Lazo
Office3:Member of Congress
Term Start3:26 July 2006
Term End3:December 2013
Successor3:Carmen Rosa Núñez
Birth Name:Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina
Birth Date:6 November 1969
Birth Place:Trujillo, Trujillo Province, Peru, La Libertad, Peru
Nationality: Peruvian
Occupation:Politician
Alma Mater:National University of Trujillo

Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina (born 6 November 1969) is a Peruvian engineer and politician, belonging to the National Solidarity and is a former Congressman representing the Department of La Libertad from 2006 until he was disqualified in December 2013, and he was banned from holding public office for a ten-year period.[1] Urtecho was diagnosed with hypotonia as a child and uses a wheelchair.[2]

Education and career

He was born in Trujillo, on 6 November 1969.[3] Since he was 2 years old, he has suffered from muscular hypotonia, a disease that makes him unable to walk.[4] He completed his primary, secondary and tertiary studies. Then he studied Chemical Engineering obtaining an engineering degree from the National University of Trujillo.

Urtecho holds a Master in Chemical engineering. After his graduation, he started working as head of informatics of the La Libertad regional government and parallel as a consultant for the Institute for Disasters and Environment. In 2003, he changed to the Chavimochic special irrigation project, where he worked as an informatic engineer until he entered politics in 2006.[5]

Political career

Early political career

In 2000, Urtecho joined the conservative National Renewal party of Rafael Rey, where he acted as a regional delegate for La Libertad.[6] He ran for a seat in the elections of that year under the Avancemos alliance, but he was not elected. The following year, in the 2001 elections, he once again ran for a seat in Congress, under the National Unity list, representing La Libertad, but he was not elected once again.[7]

Congressman

In the 2006 elections, he was elected to Congress for the 2006–2011 term on the joint center-right National Unity list. In March 2010, he left the National Renewal to join the National Solidarity Party (PSN) of Lima's mayor Luis Castañeda. He became the regional political coordinator of that party in La Libertad. Urtecho was re-elected in the 2011 elections for another five-year term this time, on the National Solidarity Alliance. While he was in congress he was chairman of the Special Commission for Disability (CODIS).[8] He served as Second Vice President of Congress during the 2009–2010 annual term and as Third Vice President of the Congress during the 2012–2013 annual term.

Disqualification

In September 2013, former staff members accused Urtecho of failing to pay them for work they had done. Urtecho stood down from the congressional ethics committee while an investigation was launched.[9] A separate investigation into Urtecho's income commenced shortly after, following allegations of financial irregularities stemming from his personal spending habits.[10] The final report published by the ethics committee called for Urtecho's suspension for illegal embellishment. In December 2013, the Congress voted to approve his desafuero and banned him from holding public office for a ten-year period.[11] He was replaced in office by Carmen Rosa Núñez.[12] On 24 August 2023, he was sentenced by the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Judiciary to 22 years and 5 months in prison for late payments against his employees.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Declaración Jurada de Vida del Candidato . Jurado Nacional de Elecciones . 9 June 2011 . es . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721024047/http://200.37.211.183/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 . 21 July 2011.
  2. Web site: Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina . . 6 June 2016 . es.
  3. Web site: Michael Urtecho Medina . www4.congreso.gob.pe . 26 August 2023 . es.
  4. Web site: A veces me olvido de que tengo discapacidad . Perú 21 . 20 September 2012 . 26 August 2023 . es.
  5. Web site: Declaración Jurada de Vida del Candidato . Jurado Nacional de Elecciones . 26 August 2023 . es . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721024047/http://200.37.211.183/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 . 21 July 2011.
  6. Web site: Michael Urtecho Medina . www4.congreso.gob.pe . 26 August 2023.
  7. Web site: La caída de Michael Urtecho, el excongresista que representó a las personas con discapacidad y ahora pasará 22 años en prisión . Infobae . Calderón . Camila . 24 August 2023 . 26 August 2023 . es.
  8. Web site: CODIS of the Peruvian Congress website . 9 June 2011 . es.
  9. News: Ética aprueba por unanimidad investigar a congresista Urtecho . . 17 September 2013 . 6 June 2016 . es.
  10. News: Fiscalía investiga a Urtecho y su esposa por presunto enriquecimiento ilícito . . 24 September 2013 . 6 June 2016 . es.
  11. News: Legislador Urtecho fue destituido del cargo por el pleno del Congreso . . 19 December 2013 . 6 June 2016 . es.
  12. Web site: JNE entrega credencial a congresista que reemplaza a destituido Michael Urtecho . Andina . Lima . 23 December 2013 . 26 August 2023 . es.
  13. Web site: Poder Judicial condena a 22 años y 5 meses de prisión a Michael Urtecho por recorte de sueldos . La República . Vasquez . Laura . 24 August 2023 . 26 August 2023 . es.