Peruvian Man Named Hitler Mussolini Elected Mayor in Remote Andean District

A man named Hitler Mussolini Simeon Flores has won a narrow victory in Peru's local elections, according to exit polls. Flores, a candidate for the center-left Ahora Nación party, was elected mayor of Queropalca, a remote district in the Peruvian Andes.

The 45-year-old secured approximately 229 votes, outpacing the second-place candidate from the right-wing Renovación Popular Perú by just 25 votes. The election involved just over 700 voters, with Flores receiving about 34% of the vote.

Queropalca is home to fewer than 1,000 residents. Flores was born in the district, located in the central department of Huánuco, approximately 360 kilometers (224 miles) from the capital, Lima.

His given names, Hitler and Mussolini, have drawn international attention due to their association with two prominent 20th-century fascist dictators. Local outlet Peru21 noted that his name makes his candidacy a "striking event."

This is not the first instance of a candidate with controversial historical names winning local office in Peru. In 2018, Hitler Guesclin Alba Sánchez was elected mayor of Yúngar, reportedly campaigning on the slogan "I'm the good Hitler."

Globally, a politician named Adolf Hitler Uunona gained similar attention in 2020 after winning local elections in Namibia, a former German colony where Germanic names are not uncommon.