José Daniel Williams Zapata (born 9 November 1951) is a politician and retired
Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army (, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in s ...
general who served as
President of the Congress of Peru
President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru is the presiding officer in the Congress of the Republic of Peru.
This is a list of representatives that have served as Presidents of the Peruvian legislature. The Constitution of 1993 re-arra ...
, the head of the legislature and next in the
line of succession
An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Presidency of Peru. Williams currently represents the constituency of
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
in the
Peruvian Congress
The Congress of the Republic of Peru () is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru. Due to broadly interpreted impeachment wording in the Constitution of Peru, the President of Peru can be removed by Congress without cause, ...
Operation Chavín de Huántar
Operation Chavín de Huántar formerly called Operation Nipón 1996 was a military operation in which a team of 142 commandos of the Peruvian Armed Forces ended the 1997 Japanese embassy hostage crisis by raiding the Japanese ambassador's residen ...
Williams was born in Lima on November 9, 1951. He enrolled in the
Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army (, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in s ...
through the
Chorrillos Military School
The Chorrillos Military School () is the institution in charge of the undergraduate education of officers of the Peruvian Army.
Overview
The school was opened in 1830 during the first government of Agustín Gamarra and was relocated to Chorri ...
.
Accomarca massacre
In 1985, then Colonel Williams was allegedly involved in the Accomarca massacre in
Ayacucho
Ayacucho (, , derived from the words ''aya'' ("death" or "soul") and ''k'uchu'' ("corner") in honour of the battle of Ayacucho), founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga) until 1825, i ...
, reportedly leading two of four patrols that participated in the "Huancayoc Plan" that resulted in the massacre. Two judicial events in 2005 did not find sufficient evidence to convict Williams of any crime, though details of the meeting introducing the Huancayoc Plan were not revealed until 2012 when second lieutenant Telmo Hurtado was questioned. According to Hurtado, who served under Williams, the colonel gave orders "not to give written account of terrorist casualties in any military operation, but verbally" in an attempt to "avoid complaints from the relatives of the victims". According to attorney Carlos Rivera Paz of the IDL, this does not show Williams' involvement in the massacre but instead shows an attempt of a coverup. Williams denied giving such orders and that since casualty numbers were ultimately reported and observed during trials investigating the massacre.
Chavín de Huántar Operation
Williams led the
Operation Chavín de Huántar
Operation Chavín de Huántar formerly called Operation Nipón 1996 was a military operation in which a team of 142 commandos of the Peruvian Armed Forces ended the 1997 Japanese embassy hostage crisis by raiding the Japanese ambassador's residen ...
in April 1997. He was hailed a national hero for the rescue of the remaining 72 captive hostages of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, effectively ending the Japanese embassy hostage crisis. This mission was a success and is considered one of the most successful rescue operations in history. According to hostages rescued from the embassy, at least one guerilla fighter was arrested and was later found to be shot in the head, raising concerns of an
extrajudicial execution
An extrajudicial killing (also known as an extrajudicial execution or an extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, ...
.
Piura leadership
In 2004, Williams served as the head of the Northern Military Region of Piura. According to '' Wayka'', Williams allegedly collaborated with the
Tijuana Cartel
The Tijuana Cartel (, ), formerly also known as the Arellano-Félix Cartel (, CAF), is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Founded by the Arellano-Félix family, the cartel once was described as "one of the biggest a ...
at the time, with leaked diplomatic cables linking Williams to Captain Jonathan Huacac, who was accused of trafficking 700 kilograms of
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
for the cartel. '' Diario La Primera'' reported that Huacac would host late-night parties with
mariachi
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
s for prominent Mexican drug lords at the Piura Military Casino, with all of this occurring only away from the home of Williams. Captain Hilario Rosales Sánchez of the
Peruvian National Police
The National Police of Peru (, PNP) is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merger of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, and the Republican Guard in 1988 ...
reported that photographs existed linking Williams and Huacac, though no actions were taken after concerns were sent to Lima, according to Rosales.
Other roles
Attaining the rank of major-general, Williams was appointed Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru, serving in the position from 2005 to 2006. He retired from the Army in December 2006.
From 2009 and 2011, Williams served as was Academic Director of the Center for Higher National Studies (CAEN), from which he obtained a master's degree in defense studies. He also serves as professor at the San Ignacio de Loyola University since 2018, and is a Lecturer at the Higher School of War since 2020.
Political career
2021 congressional election
In 2020, Williams was announced as part of Go on Country - Social Integration Party's congressional list for the 2021 general election. In addition, he participated in Hernando de Soto's presidential campaign as the technical team's defense and security advisor. During the presidential campaign, de Soto publicly announced a Shadow Cabinet, in which he included Williams as Shadow Defense Minister. Although de Soto was not elected to the presidency, Williams was elected to a seat in the
Peruvian Congress
The Congress of the Republic of Peru () is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru. Due to broadly interpreted impeachment wording in the Constitution of Peru, the President of Peru can be removed by Congress without cause, ...
. He is currently the party's parliamentary spokesperson, appointed by de Soto. Upon assuming his congressional seat, Williams was selected on 18 August 2021 as chair of the Congressional Defense Committee.
During his tenure, Williams signed the '' Madrid Charter'', joining an international alliance of right-wing and
far-right
Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
On 12 September 2022, Williams became leader of the legislature as the President of Congress after the impeachment and removal of President of Congress
Lady Camones
Lady Mercedes Camones Soriano (Chimbote, born February 20, 1975) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. She was elected Congresswoman of the Republic for the period 2021-2026.
Biography
She was born in Chimbote on February 20, 1975. She studied ...
over audio recordings of alleged corruption.
On 7 December 2022, President of Congress José Williams led the congress in impeaching and removing President of Peru
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 until Third impeachment and removal of Pedro Castillo, he ...
constituent assembly
A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
Dina Boluarte
Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra (; born 31 May 1962) is a Peruvian politician, civil servant, and lawyer who has been serving as the 64th president of Peru since 2022. She had served as the Vice President of Peru, first vice president and minister ...
became the President of Peru. Because Boluarte had no First Vice President or Second Vice President, José Williams became first in the
line of succession
An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.