His assertive rhetoric has resonated with many Peruvians who are seeking drastic measures to combat the extortion crisis. Published on October 15, 2025, and updated just moments ago, this article highlights former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who is campaigning for the presidency of Peru. During a public event, he raised a stuffed pig toy, embracing his nickname “Porky.”
LIMA — While few appreciate being likened to a pig, the stout, balding former mayor of Lima, who resigned on Monday to pursue the presidency, has fully embraced his “Porky” moniker.
The 64-year-old ultra-conservative politician announced his second presidential campaign shortly after Congress impeached then-president Dina Boluarte amid a surge of extortion rackets plaguing the nation.
Lopez Aliaga, affectionately dubbed Porky due to his resemblance to the Looney Tunes character Porky Pig, is currently the frontrunner in the polls for the April 2026 elections. However, the similarities with his cartoon counterpart end at his jowly visage. A wealthy businessman and member of the ultra-conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, he was elected mayor of Lima in 2022 and is known for his admiration of former U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s authoritarian leader Nayib Bukele.
He has pledged to reinstate military tribunals to prosecute the extortion gangs that terrorize entire communities, as well as the hitmen who carry out killings for those who refuse to pay protection money.
“There have been military tribunals before. Let’s have them again because we’re at war,” Lopez Aliaga stated in September, referencing the state’s conflict with the far-left Shining Path guerrillas from 1980 to 2000. He also suggests sending violent offenders, whom he labels “urban terrorists,” to Bukele’s harsh Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.
His tough stance has garnered support from many Peruvians eager for radical solutions to the extortion epidemic. On Monday, the right-wing candidate, who previously ran for president in 2021, expressed his commitment to protecting the livelihoods of Peruvians and alleviating their fears. Boluarte was impeached in a swift trial due to her inability to address rising violent crime, following a gun attack on a group of citizens.