Overview
- On Thursday, August 20, 2026, Juntos por el Perú lawmakers Yenifer Paredes and Catherin Palomino were elected presidents of the Energy and Mines and Justice and Human Rights commissions respectively.
- Paredes faces an active Public Ministry probe for alleged criminal organization, aggravated collusion and money laundering and previously had a 30-month preventive detention order that was later revoked on appeal.
- Palomino’s record includes 61 visits to former president Pedro Castillo in Barbadillo prison between October 2024 and February 2026, published chats in which she claims a personal tie to Castillo, and a report that she ran an unlicensed textile workshop from her home.
- Both unanimous commission votes and JP’s use of party quota allocations have prompted criticism that multiple benches share responsibility for placing officials with pending complaints into oversight roles.
- The Energy and Mines chair will shape debates over the Registro Integral de Formalización Minera (Reinfo) and the proposed MAPE law, so experts, opposition figures and civic groups say media scrutiny and formal ethics or judicial review are the next steps to watch.