David Aguilar Cornejo

David Aguilar Cornejo, (Callao, Peru, January 29, 1902 – Lima, July 11, 1982) was a Peruvian criminal lawyer and politician. He was Minister of Foreign Relations between 1954 and 1955, during the constitutional government of General Manuel A. Odría. He was one of the founders of the Odriista National Union, as well as a senator (1963-1968). He presided over the Senate in the 1965-1966 and 1967-1968 legislatures.

Biography

His parents were David Aguilar and Juana Cornejo. He completed his primary studies at the San Luis Gonzaga National College in Ica, and then secondary school at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe National College in Lima. He entered the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1929. He finally graduated as a lawyer, practicing his profession especially as a criminal lawyer.

In the field of politics, he successively supported the presidential candidacies of José María de la Jara y Ureta (1931), José Quesada (1939) and Eloy G. Ureta (1945), all of them unsuccessful. In 1950 he was secretary of politics in the electoral campaign of General Manuel A. Odría, who triumphed with practically no rivals.

During the Odriista regime he was legal adviser to the Council of Ministers (1951-1955) and Minister of Foreign Relations, a position he held from August 11, 1954 to December 2, 1955. Due to his absence, he was temporarily replaced on several occasions by Alberto Freundt Rosell.

During his time as Chancellor of the Republic, he detained Aristotle Onassis' fishing fleet for whaling without official permission. His ships were detained in the port of Callao until the corresponding fine was paid.

Later, he joined the board of directors of the Odriista National Union or Odría party (1961). He was elected senator for Lima in 1963. He became president of his chamber in two legislatures: 1965-66 and 1967-68, according to what was agreed with his allies from the Aprista party, in the sense of alternating the directives of the Parliament. His parliamentary term, which was to end in 1969, was thwarted by the 1968 coup.