Paolo Guerrero: The truth about the extortions received by his family and the criminality that, for now, keeps him away from Trujillo

The reasons that Paolo Guerrero presented to the leadership of the César Vallejo University are based on the wave of crime that the La Libertad region and Trujillo in particular are enduring. According to police information to which he accessed TradeIn 2023, more than 30 thousand crimes were recorded in Trujillo, 11 of them were thefts and robberies. In addition, complaints of extortion increased by 60%: they went from 8,000 complaints to around 13,000 in 2023.

The insecurity figures in the city have a chilling corollary, which the president of the Council of Ministers himself, Alberto Otárola, was in charge of mentioning: so far in 2024, there has been almost 1 death per day in Trujillo.

Not even the announcement of the declaration of Emergency in Trujillo has changed Paolo Guerrero’s decision not to play in the poet team. As he was able to know Trade, it was César Acuña himself who called on Otárola and the Minister of the Interior Víctor Torres to confront the advance of crime. Sources from this newspaper indicated that this was one of the promises that the Cesar Vallejo University made to the forward so that he would opt for the northern team.

César Acuña confirmed the threats that Paolo Guerrero’s family had received, even without setting foot in Trujillo. “I understand Paolo, the day the contract was signed the criminals threatened his mother, so I think he is meditating, evaluating whether it is his family or it is football, so it is a security issue. I think he doesn’t want to expose himself, and I would do the same.“said the regional Governor in statements to the press last Tuesday.

Acuña himself stated that Paolo Guerrero’s lawyer contacted representatives of the Ministry of the Interior to request security for the player and his family, but “he could not be guaranteed any type of support,” a source confirmed to Trade.

Regarding the call received by Petronila Gonzales, mother of Paolo Guerrero, little is known. It was only known that the criminals threatened her and asked her for money to guarantee the tranquility of the player’s family during her stay in Trujillo.

Something that bothered the player’s entourage was that they spread the details of the million-dollar contract and the salary he would receive from the club.

In this regard, PNP General José Antonio Zavala, head of the La Liberad Police region, indicated that no “official or unofficial” complaint has been filed regarding the threat received by Paolo Guerrero’s mother.

“Mr. Paolo Guerrero has not been here in the city of Trujillo. Neither him nor his family, so we would have to establish the complaint where he comes from, if he comes from Libertad, if he comes from Lima, we don’t know. We do not have more information, surely if a complaint is formalized we will be able to have more details and undertake an investigation as appropriate and established by our legal system.”, indicated General Zavala.

The Guerrero issue was handled sloppily from various spaces, from the club, the press and the player himself. Firstly, he had to do with a promise of security that the club could not guarantee. As indicated by the player’s environment, his own safety and that of his family was a key issue for the athlete.

The police news that filled the front pages of the newspapers every day further discouraged the player, something that not even the declaration of emergency could diminish for the forward. Added to this was that the salary that Guerrero would earn was disseminated in various media outlets, which posed a greater risk for his family.

Although the Guerrero issue is not yet defined, if the agreement with the César Vallejo University is broken, Guerrero would have to pay a sum exceeding one million dollars, something that the northern club would enforce.

For the former director of the National Police of Peru, Eduardo Pérez Rocha, it is a great risk for the player’s family to spread how much he will win. “That it is said that he will earn 130 thousand dollars a month knowing the great wave of extortions is harmful because it exposes him to criminals“, said to Trade.

Likewise, Pérez Rocha regretted that Universidad César Vallejo had not been able to guarantee him the security that was promised prior to the signed contract.

On Tuesday night, the Government published the supreme decree that formalizes the state of emergency in the province. As part of the restrictions due to the state of emergency, the attention of commercial premises, social events and shows will be suspended from midnight to 4 in the morning.

In this regard, Torres specified that as part of this measure the police will increase the number of criminal investigation personnel in Trujillo, corresponding to the criminal investigation units, special operations, intelligence, among other areas.

“There are a series of gangs and criminal organizations that have been doing harm, especially in the most populated areas: Trujillo, La Esperanza, El Porvenir, Florencia de Mora, etc. That is why this measure has been taken,” said the head of the portfolio.