Peru: Lawmaker faces sanction after having toenails cut in Congress office

Tuesday 28 October 2025 - 07:00

By: Sahili Aya

Peru: Lawmaker faces sanction after having toenails cut in Congress office

Lima, October 27, 2025 — The President of Peru’s Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, condemned as “reprehensible” the behavior of left-wing lawmaker Lucinda Vasquez, who was photographed having her toenails cut and feet massaged by an aide inside her congressional office.

The image, which circulated widely on Peruvian television and social media in recent days, was reportedly taken on November 6, 2024, but only surfaced publicly this week. It shows Vasquez seated on a couch while one of her assistants performs a pedicure.

Rospigliosi, a member of the right-wing Popular Force party, said the act represented “a humiliation” for congressional staff assigned to duties “that have nothing to do with their official responsibilities.”
He urged the Congressional Ethics Committee to impose disciplinary action.

“What happened is unacceptable and should never occur within Congress,”
declared Rospigliosi during a press conference.
“Those who commit such acts must be sanctioned. I hope the ethics committee takes the necessary measures.”

Elvis Vergara, head of the ethics committee, told reporters he would request the opening of a formal investigation on November 3, to determine whether Vasquez violated parliamentary conduct rules.

The incident has sparked public outrage in Peru, where scandals involving lawmakers’ misuse of resources have already eroded confidence in political institutions.