Regional candidate shot dead in Caraz: had reported threats from prisons
Susy Aponte Polo, regional candidate in Áncash, was shot in a Caraz market during campaigning. She had reported telephone threats days earlier; a Venezuelan is in custody.
Regional Government of Áncash candidate killed during campaign event in Caraz
Susy Isabel Aponte Polo, journalist and candidate for the Regional Government of Áncash, was shot dead on Saturday whilst conducting a campaign tour in a market in the city of Caraz, Peru. According to filo.news, the 44-year-old leader, publicly known as "China Polo", was taking part in the event alongside members of her political group when she was attacked.
Aponte was competing for the Socios por Áncash movement ahead of the regional and municipal elections scheduled for the country. The attack left five people wounded, according to subsequent reports, although initial information released by Peruvian authorities and media outlets differed on the exact number of victims.
A Venezuelan detained and a firearm seized
Following the attack, the National Police deployed an operation in the area and detained a Venezuelan citizen identified as the alleged perpetrator of the crime. During the procedure, a firearm was seized. The Public Prosecutor's Office immediately opened a preliminary investigation and ordered the gathering of evidence, including footage from the market's security cameras. The Public Ministry reported that the case is being investigated initially as an alleged femicide.
Authorities had not publicly established a motive for the crime at the time information was finalised.
Threats from prison facilities, nine days earlier
The murder took on particular significance because Aponte had publicly warned of threats she had received just days before her death. Nine days before the attack, the candidate posted a video in which she stated she had received telephone calls from three prison facilities. In those communications, according to her own account, she had been warned of an alleged attempt on her life.
Aponte said she had made the corresponding reports to the authorities. She also noted that she was being harassed and that attempts were being made to block her accounts and telephone lines.
In those same posts, she made reference to investigations disseminated through her journalism platform, China Polo Dominical, where she questioned alleged irregularities in public bodies in the Áncash region. The threats she reported and the murder now form part of the elements that investigators will need to analyse. At present, authorities have not confirmed that there is a direct connection between those warnings and Saturday's attack.
Four days after participating in a JNE debate
Aponte had taken part on 15 September in a debate organised by the National Elections Jury (JNE) for candidates for the Regional Government of Áncash. Four days later she was killed during a campaign activity in Caraz.
The Ombudsman's Office focused on the security response during the attack. According to the body, merchants and residents of the area reported a delay in the arrival of police officers despite calls for help, and called for reinforced protection for those participating in the electoral race.
Request for security for candidates campaigning
Following news of the crime, the Regional Government of Áncash requested that the Interior Ministry and National Police adopt security measures for candidates still campaigning. It also requested that the National Council for Public Safety (Conasec) be convened urgently. Peruvian electoral bodies issued statements on the killing, which occurred weeks before the 2026 regional and municipal elections.
Journalist with prominence in the region for her investigations
Beyond her political activities, Aponte had built her public profile through journalism. Through China Polo Dominical she disseminated investigations and reports on alleged irregularities and cases of corruption in the Áncash region, an activity that had given her prominence in the department before she ran for the regional post.
Source: Google News PE — Crime