Given the wave of indignation that was generated on social networks by the community LGBTTIthe new Minister of Education, Óscar Manuel Becerra Tresierra, Minister of Educationapologized for his homophobic and transphobic expressions issued in 2018, before taking office in the President’s Cabinet Dina Boluarte. The head of Minedu is also questioned for an alleged irregular purchase of laptops during the Government of alan garcia.
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“I know that some comments before I became a minister have specifically offended the LGBTI community. I want to offer you my unconditional apologies. I don’t want to use the expression ‘if I have offended you’. The perception of an offense is in the offended, not in the offender”, Becerra remarked at a press conference.
“In this sense, I want to offer my sincere apologies and my unrestricted respect and that of this administration to Peruvians of any orientation and identity.”, he continued.
The controversy arose because on March 14, 2018, Becerra commented: “Man or woman is sex and genetics. Male or female. gender and grammar. Tastes and use of body orifices”, according to a report by Channel N, which made visible the opposition of the now minister towards an education with a gender perspective.
LAPTOP CASE
In 2007, during the second government of Alan García, Becerra was involved in an irregular purchase of 846,000 plastic laptops from the One Laptop Per Child Foundation (OLPC). The acquisition was supposedly intended to support low-income students.
An office of the San Martín University, in charge of the current head of Minedu, participated as an evaluator of this purchase, investigated at the time by a mega-commission that, led by former congressman Sergio Tejada, found an overvaluation of 11 million dollars.
According to the Epicentro portal, businessmen very close to the former president participated in the meeting where the importation was decided, such as Jorge Barata, head of Odebrecht in Peru.
According to the presidential announcement, the operation would be successful due to its low cost: $100 per piece of equipment. In the end, each laptop cost more than double, at $225, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
“They can review all documentation that is public. They never paid a penny more for the equipment. Not 225, 220, 200 or 100.188 dollars because that was what is written in that law that was approved by Parliament”, Becerra defended himself.
“There was a mega commission that investigated that project in 2011 and found nothing. I have not belonged to any political party, I am a technician”, added the head of Minedu, who did not want to answer questions from the press.
THEY DEMAND HIS RESIGNATION
Parliamentarian Roberto Chiabra pointed out that it is “a mistake” by President Dina Boluarte and the Chief of Staff, Alberto Otárola, to have appointed him to that position.
“I don’t understand if there aren’t qualified people in the Education (sector) who don’t have any questions. What a bad habit of placing people who have questions in the positions of ministers. I believe that there, again, the prime minister and the president have made a mistake because that minister does not start well”, indicated the Alianza para el Progreso parliamentarian.
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“I think it should be removed quickly. If (the president) has removed a prime minister in 10 days, she can easily remove a minister of Education who, with these questions, the first thing they are going to ask is where are the tablets they bought at that time”, he added.
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