José Arista, new head of the MEF: profile and resume of the technocrat who replaces the criticized Alex Contreras

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The economist and technocrat José Arista Arbildo (65) became the new Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF) this Tuesday, replacing the controversial Alex Contreras, criticized during his administration for denying the economic crisis on repeated occasions, until he finally admitted that the country was in recession.

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Born in Amazonas, graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUCP) and studied at the University of California and the Catholic University of Chile, Arista returns to head this office after four years, when he was sworn in by the short-lived Manuel Merino, who remained in the presidential chair for just five days in 2020.

That very brief mandate was characterized by a strong repression of the protests, which caused two deaths and hundreds of injuries, for which he is currently charged by the Prosecutor’s Office for alleged homicide. Merino was forced to resign after being left alone following the en bloc resignation of all of his ministers.

Arista entered the public sphere in 1990, when he became National Director of Public Budget of the MEF. Since then, he has played various key roles in public administration and has been part of the creation of institutions such as the National Superintendency of Tax Administration (Sunat) and the Tax Administration Service (SAT).

Photo: Presidency/Flickr

During the administration of Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006), he was General Director of the Public Budget and advisor to the MEF Management Support Fund. During Alan García’s administration (2006-2011), he held the position of Vice Minister of Finance and National Director of the National Directorate of the Public Budget.

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Simultaneously, he served as director of the Banco de news, as alternate governor of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and as director of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). The economist also won the elections for the regional presidency of Amazonas, his native region, where he governed for the period 2011-2014.

During Ollanta Humala’s mandate (2011-2016), he was appointed by the Ministry of Education as executive director of the Special Project for the preparation and development of the Pan American Games. Later, he was a member of the board of directors of Banco de news and an advisor to the ministerial office of the MEF.

In 2018, he was sworn in as head of Agriculture and Irrigation in the government of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018) and was part of the so-called ‘Reconciliation Cabinet’, appointed by the former governor after two weeks of accusations for having granted a pardon to former dictator Alberto Fujimori. , sentenced for crimes against humanity.

Arista, who has five open criminal investigations, had a rapprochement with President Dina Boluarte at the beginning of 2024 at a meeting in which former Minister Luis Carranza was also present. Both former officials entered the Government Palace at 4:59 p.m. and also left three hours later.

Dina Boluarte and the new Minister of Economy, José Arista. Photo: Presidency/Flickr

The day after that private meeting, Contreras contacted La República to announce that he was preparing his resignation due to “lack of transparency in some decisions” of the Government. However, he reconsidered his decision and reconciled his permanence with the Chief of Staff, Alberto Otárola.

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According to the newspaper, the former minister was furious about that meeting with Arista, who has finally replaced him, despite the fact that, according to El Foco, he is registering criminal proceedings for embezzlement, incompatible negotiation, collusion with property fraud against the State and abuse of authority.

In a lengthy message, Contreras said goodbye to the portfolio, assured that “the economy was able to emerge from the recession and has entered a process of expansion,” and left some advice to his successor. “The medium-term agenda must continue: the promotion of infrastructure with a regional focus, the promotion of the naval industry, the development agenda of the Amazon [y] The consolidation of Peru as the port hub must be considered a national priority,” he noted.

From his perspective, furthermore, “it is fundamental and necessary to reorient the country’s agenda towards a political reform that allows generating an environment of greater stability.” His final lines were directed at medium and small businesses (mypes), who promoted their censure in the face of unfulfilled promises. “I tell you that the commitments made are ready in an emergency decree that, I hope, can be approved in the next Council of Ministers and that Impulso MYPERÚ continues to finance more and more Mypes,” he concluded.