Verónika Fanny Mendoza Frisch (born 9 December 1980) is a Peruvian-French
psychologist,
educator, and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
. She is the founder and current leader of the
New Peru movement.
Born in
Cuzco
Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...
to a Peruvian father and French mother, Mendoza pursued her education in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, majoring in psychology at the
Paris Diderot University
Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7 (french: Université Paris Diderot), was a French university located in Paris, France. It was one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was split into 13 universities in 197 ...
. She continued her graduate education at the
New Sorbonne University
The New Sorbonne University (french: Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, also known as Paris III) is a public university in Paris, France. It is one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was completely overhauled and rest ...
, attaining a master's in
social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
. Upon the completion of her graduate education abroad, she established back in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
in order to start a career in politics.
Initially a member of the
Peruvian Nationalist Party
Peruvian Nationalist Party (Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista Peruano;'' PNP) is a center-left to left-wing political party in Peru.
History
The Nationalist Party had as its antecedent the Peruvian Nationalist Movement. The party was originally ...
, Mendoza was elected to the
Peruvian Congress
The Congress of the Republic of Peru ( es, Congreso de la República) is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.
Congress' composition is established by Chapter I of Title IV of the Constitution of Peru. Congress is compose ...
in
2011. Representing the constituency of
Cuzco
Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...
, she quit the Nationalist caucus in 2012 in order to start her own political party, the Sowing Movement. Subsequently, she agreed in constituting the
Broad Front coalition. Announcing her candidacy for
President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
at the
2016 general election, she easily attained the coalition's presidential nomination.
[Declaración Jurada de Vida del Candidato](_blank)
, curriculum vitae presented to the Peruvian national electoral authority, 2016 (accessed 19 March 2016). She placed third in the election, while her opponents
Keiko Fujimori
Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi (; ja, 藤森 恵子, Fujimori Keiko; born 25 May 1975) is a Peruvian politician. Fujimori is the eldest daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori and Susana Higuchi. From August 1994 to November 200 ...
and
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...
qualified to the second round, in which Kuczynski was elected with her endorsement in order to avoid a Fujimori win. Following the election, the
Broad Front caucus divided into two factions, prompting the foundation of
New Peru in December 2017, with Mendoza as its leader.
For the
2021 general election, Mendoza was unable to register
New Peru, prompting her to reach an agreement with
Together for Peru in order to run for the presidency for a second time. Confirmed as the coalition's presidential nominee, Mendoza failed to qualify for the run-off a second time, as she placed sixth in the election with 7.9% of the popular vote. Her loss in support throughout the campaign is widely credited to
Pedro Castillo
José Pedro Castillo Terrones (; born 19 October 1969) is a Peruvian politician, former elementary school teacher, and union leader who served as the President of Peru from 28 July 2021 to 7 December 2022. On 7 December 2022, he was impeached a ...
and
Yonhy Lescano's voting share in the south of Peru, a traditional stronghold for the Peruvian left.
Early life
Verónika Mendoza was born on 9 December 1980 in the
San Sebastián district of
Cusco Province
Cusco Province is the smallest of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region in the southern highlands of Peru.
Geography
Some of the highest mountains of the province are listed below:
Political division
The province is divided into eight distri ...
, in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
’s southern
Andean
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...
highlands. She is the daughter of Marcelino Mendoza and Gabrielle Marie Frisch D'Adhemar, a
French citizen. Owing to her mother’s nationality, Mendoza holds a dual, both Peruvian and French, nationality.
She studied at the Virgen del Carmen school in the city of
Cusco and the
Université Paris Diderot, in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, from which she graduated with a degree in
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
in 2003.
Subsequently, she received a Master’s Degree in
Social Sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
from the
New Sorbonne University
The New Sorbonne University (french: Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, also known as Paris III) is a public university in Paris, France. It is one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was completely overhauled and rest ...
in 2006, and then a Master’s Degree in Education, with an emphasis on
Spanish language
Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in th ...
, from
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
’s
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
The National Distance Education University, known in Spanish as ''Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia'' (UNED), is a public research university of national scope. The university was founded in 1972 under the Ministry of Universities ...
, in 2009.
Mendoza also speaks
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
, an indigenous and official language of Peru.
Mendoza worked as a Spanish-language instructor at the
Centre Acadomia Prépa Paris. Later, she served as an instructor at the Asociación Pukllasunchis in Cusco, and as a professor at the
Universidad Nacional del Altiplano de Puno
The Universidad Nacional del Altiplano de Puno (acronym: UNAP) is a public university located in the city of Puno, Peru. It is one of the first public universities founded in 1856 at the initiative of the population of the Department of Puno. I ...
.
Political career
While studying in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, Mendoza became more involved in activism and politics, eventually joining the
Peruvian Nationalist Party
Peruvian Nationalist Party (Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista Peruano;'' PNP) is a center-left to left-wing political party in Peru.
History
The Nationalist Party had as its antecedent the Peruvian Nationalist Movement. The party was originally ...
.
In Peru, she was appointed the party youth’s
press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage.
Dut ...
in 2009, and as spokesperson for the party’s women’s commission the following year.
Congress of Peru
In the
2011 Peruvian general election
General elections were held in Peru on 10 April 2011 to elect the President, the Vice Presidents, 130 members of Congress and five members of the Andean Parliament. As no presidential candidate received a majority in the first round, a second r ...
s she ran for Congress, in representation of Cusco, on the
Gana Perú coalition’s ticket. She was elected to the office with 47,088 votes. Her term expired in July 2016. She was later named Vice President of the Peruvian Congress’ Committee for Culture and Cultural Heritage. She was also a member of the Congressional Commission on Andean, Amazonian, and
Afro-Peruvian
Black Peruvians or Afro-Peruvians are Peruvian of mostly or partially African descent. They mostly descend from enslaved Africans brought to Peru after the arrival of the conquistadors.
Early history
The first Africans arrived with the conquer ...
Peoples, the Environment, and Ecology. Mendoza is a member of the Campaign in Defense of Water and Territory.
She has served the head of the Cusco Congressional delegation.
["Verónika Fanny Mendoza Frisch"](_blank)
at the Peruvian Congress web portal She resigned from the Gana Perú Congressional delegation on 4 June 2012, following violent repression of protesters and strikers in
Espinar Province
Espinar Province is one of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region in the southern highlands of Peru.
Geography
Some of the highest mountains of the province are listed below:escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Espinar Province (Cusco Region) ...
. Mendoza said she distanced herself from Humala's government, stating "I parted ways with the movement a year into Ollanta Humala’s term, when he quickly betrayed the ideals for which he had been elected. From that moment onward, myself and others set out to find a vehicle that could include the people and organizations making up the diverse Peruvian left."
Shortly thereafter, she helped create the
Broad Front coalition of left-wing parties, trade unions and other organizations.
2016 presidential run
After winning the party's primary elections in October 2015, Mendoza became the
Broad Front's (''Frente Amplio'') candidate in the
2016 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kiri ...
. She finished third in that contest, with 2.8 million (18.8%) valid votes cast in her favor.
[Peru, Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE)]
''Presentaciòn de Resultados, Elecciones Generales 2016''
, uploaded 17 April 2016 (Accessed 17 April 2016)
She was later elected to be the president of the
New Peru party on 11 December 2017 when the party was founded.
2021 presidential run
On 4 November 2020, the 240th anniversary of the
Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II
The Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II (4 November 1780 – 15 March 1783) was an uprising by ''cacique''-led Aymara, Quechua and ''mestizo'' rebels aimed at overthrowing Spanish colonial rule in Peru. The causes of the rebellion included oppositi ...
, Mendoza announced her pre-candidacy with the
Together for Peru coalition for the
2021 Peruvian presidential election. Leading up to her candidacy, Mendoza criticized the response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
The COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths.
The virus spread to Peru on 6 March 2020, when a 25-year-old man who had travelled to Spain, France, and the Czech Republic tested positive. On 15 March 20 ...
, stating "COVID-19 is showing us many of the country's underlying problems: thousands of families and schools that do not have drinking water, thousands of workers who do not have health insurance, who cannot stop working for a single day because your family's food depends on that, an abandoned public health, of course, we only dedicate 2.3% of GDP to public health, below the average for Latin America which is 4% and well below 6% recommended by the WHO".
Controversy arose in February 2021 after newspaper ''
Perú.21'' published an article alleging that Mendoza did not disclose ownership of a property shared with her sisters in Cusco.
The Special Electoral Juries (JEE) responded by saying they would investigate the matter.
Though she was initially seen as a frontrunner for the presidential election, Mendoza did not receive substantial support among average voters, with her main voting base being among the educated
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
.
Ideology and views
Mendoza has called for a new
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
movement in Latin America that promotes private investment in public life.
She has advocated for a new constitution in Peru, diversifying its economy away from what is primarily mining, strengthening rights for women, LGBT and indigenous groups, providing free access to water and establishing stronger environmental protections.
In an interview with
''Jacobin'', she said that she wanted to strengthen Peru's sovereignty and move away from an informal economy, saying such an economy is where "individual concerns understandably trump relationships with neighbors, coworkers" and that it "is also fertile ground for neoliberals ... exploiting the legitimate fears that people experience in the midst of generalized uncertainty".
Regarding her views on leftist movements in the region, she criticized them stating "the Left hasn’t been able to forge a viable political project that includes everyone equally, without discrimination".
When discussing the political processes of the left in Bolivia and Chile, Mendoza stated that Peru needed its "own path".
Her movement has also distanced itself from the policies of
Hugo Chávez and
Nicolás Maduro in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, describing their administrations as "
caudillismo" and anti-democratic.
She has called for the safeguard of
human rights in Venezuela
The record of human rights in Venezuela has been criticized by human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Concerns include attacks against journalists, political persecution, harassment of human rights defen ...
, condemning the actions of the Maduro government.
She also supported the anti-corruption measures of President
Martín Vizcarra
Martín Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo (; born 22 March 1963) is a Peruvian engineer and politician who served as President of Peru from 2018 to 2020. Vizcarra previously served as Governor of the Department of Moquegua (2011–2014), First Vice P ...
, such as the
2018 Peruvian constitutional referendum.
Recognition
Americas Quarterly
''Americas Quarterly (AQ)'' is a publication dedicated to politics, business and culture in the Americas.
Distribution
''AQ'' has an established relationship with NTN24, an online news channel from Colombia with three million viewers, to broadc ...
recognized Mendoza in their ''Top 5 Politicians Under 40'' article, with the publication saying that she was "stoking hopes that a modern, more electable left may be taking root in Peru".
References
External links
*
*
Broad Front webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendoza, Veronika
1980 births
Candidates for President of Peru
Living people
Women members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru
People from Cusco
Peruvian people of French descent
Peruvian educators
Peruvian psychologists
Peruvian Nationalist Party politicians
21st-century Peruvian politicians
21st-century Peruvian women politicians
Left-wing politics in Peru
Universidad Nacional del Altiplano de Puno faculty
Peruvian women psychologists
Women educators
Spanish-language education
Peruvian women anthropologists
French people of Peruvian descent