Nidia Vílchez

Nidia Ruth Vílchez Yucra (born May 12, 1964) is a Peruvian public accountant and politician. A ranking member of the Peruvian Aprista Party, she served in the Peruvian Congress representing Junín from 2006 to 2011. During Alan García's second administration, she served in the positions of Minister of Housing, Construction and Sanitation and Minister of Women and Social Development.

In her last portfolio, she championed several structural reforms at social level, improving the societal conditions of the lower-income class, being credited with contributing the reduction of poverty from 48% to 28% from 2006 to 2011.She failed to attain reelection for Congress in 2011, 2016 and 2020, and lost the 2014 governorship election of Junín, placing second.

For the 2021 general election, Vílchez announced her candidacy for the Peruvian Aprista Party presidential nomination, in October 2020.

Early life and education Nidia Vílchez was born in Huancayo, central Peru on May 12, 1964. She completed her high school education at The Sacred Family School of Tarma and the Andean School of Huancayo. Upon graduation, she registered in the Peruvian Aprista Party, and subsequently enrolled in the National University of the Center of Peru in 1983 to study public accounting. In her fourth year, she transferred to the Federico Villarreal National University in Lima, graduating with a bachelor's degree in public accounting in 1990.

Political career

Upon graduating from Villarreal, Vílchez ran for the Regional Assembly of the newly constituted Andrés Avelino Cáceres Region. She was elected representing Huancayo with the Peruvian Aprista Party. Her term would be interrupted by president Alberto Fujimori's self-coup, which suspended the Regional Governments with their respective assemblies.

In June 2009, she was switched to the Minister of Women and Social Development upon the resignation of Carmen Vildoso. During her tenure, she took initiative in promoting public policies that improved equality of opportunities and family. During her management, the “Gratitude” program was created, aimed at those over 75 years of age, and the free delivery of 5 million identity documents - DNI, to children under 14 years of age in agreement with the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC). She resigned in September 2010 in order to run for congressional reelection at the 2011 general election, although she was not reelected.

In 2014, she ran for Governor of Junín, placing second. At the 2016 general election, she ran with the Popular Alliance congressional list for Junín. Although she earned a high number of votes, the party only attained 5 seats nationally, and was not elected.

Vílchez filed her candidacy ticket on 27 October 2020 by announcing former deputy minister of Social Development, Iván Hidalgo, and former congresswoman Olga Cribilleros, as running-mates. Challenged by newcomer chemist and writer Rafael Zevallos and former congressional candidate Juan Carlos Sánchez, Vílchez managed to secure the nomination before the primary election held on 29 November 2020. She withdrew from the race on 16 January 2021.