{{Short description|Peruvian engineer and politician}} {{family name hatnote|Urtecho|Medina|lang=Spanish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Michael Urtecho | image = Vicepresidente Urtecho declara al periodismo (6881858760).jpg | image_size = 264px | caption = Urtecho as Third Vice President of Congress in 2012 | office1 = [[President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru|Third Vice President of the Congress]] | term_start1 = 26 July 2011 | term_end1 = 26 July 2012 | president1 = [[Daniel Abugattás]] | predecessor1 = [[Eduardo Espinoza]] | successor1 = [[José Luna]] | office2 = [[President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru|Second Vice President of the Congress]] | term_start2 = 26 July 2009 | term_end2 = 26 July 2010 | president2 = [[Luis Alva Castro]] | predecessor2 = [[Álvaro Gutiérrez (politician)|Álvaro Gutiérrez]] | successor2 = [[Alda Lazo]] | office3 = [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Member of Congress]] | term_start3 = 26 July 2006 | term_end3 = December 2013 | constituency3 = [[La Libertad Region|La Libertad]] | successor3 = [[Carmen Rosa Núñez]] | birth_name = Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|11|6|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Trujillo, Peru|Trujillo]], [[Trujillo Province, Peru]], [[La Libertad Region|La Libertad]], [[Peru]] | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[National Solidarity (Peru)|National Solidarity Party]] {{small|(2010-present)}} <br/> [[National Solidarity Alliance]] {{small|(2010-2011)}} | other_party = [[National Renewal (Peru)|National Renewal]] {{small|(2000-2010)}} | occupation = [[Politician]] | alma_mater = [[National University of Trujillo]] }} '''Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina''' (born 6 November 1969) is a [[Peru]]vian engineer and politician, belonging to the [[National Solidarity (Peru)|National Solidarity]] and is a former [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Congressman]] representing the [[Department of La Libertad]] from 2006 until he was disqualified in December 2013, and he was banned from holding public office for a ten-year period.<ref name=JNE>{{Cite web|url=http://200.37.211.183/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 |title=Declaración Jurada de Vida del Candidato |publisher=Jurado Nacional de Elecciones |access-date=9 June 2011 |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721024047/http://200.37.211.183/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> Urtecho was diagnosed with [[hypotonia]] as a child and uses a wheelchair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www4.congreso.gob.pe/congresista/2006/murtecho/testimonio-i.htm |title=Wilson Michael Urtecho Medina |publisher=[[Congress of Peru]] |access-date=6 June 2016 |language=es}}</ref>
== Education and career == He was born in [[Trujillo, Peru|Trujillo]], on 6 November 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www4.congreso.gob.pe/congresista/2011/murtecho/historia_personal.htm |title=Michael Urtecho Medina |website=www4.congreso.gob.pe |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es}}</ref> Since he was 2 years old, he has suffered from muscular [[hypotonia]], a disease that makes him unable to walk.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://peru21.pe/voces/veces-me-olvido-discapacidad-46730-noticia/|title=A veces me olvido de que tengo discapacidad |publisher=Perú 21 |date=20 September 2012 |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es}}</ref> He completed his primary, secondary and tertiary studies. Then he studied Chemical Engineering obtaining an engineering degree from the [[National University of Trujillo]].<ref name=JNE />
Urtecho holds a Master in [[Chemical engineering]]. After his graduation, he started working as head of informatics of the La Libertad regional government and parallel as a consultant for the ''Institute for Disasters and Environment''. In 2003, he changed to the [[Chavimochic]] special [[irrigation]] project, where he worked as an informatic engineer until he entered politics in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aplicaciones002.jne.gob.pe/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 |title=Declaración Jurada de Vida del Candidato |publisher=Jurado Nacional de Elecciones |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721024047/http://200.37.211.183/pecaoe2011/public/verhojadevida.aspx?ID_CANDIDATO=119338&ID_ORG_POLITICA=2156 |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref>
== Political career == === Early political career === In 2000, Urtecho joined the conservative [[National Renewal (Peru)|National Renewal]] party of [[Rafael Rey]], where he acted as a regional delegate for La Libertad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www4.congreso.gob.pe/congresista/2006/murtecho/testimonio-i.htm |title=Michael Urtecho Medina |website=www4.congreso.gob.pe |access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref> He ran for a seat in the [[2000 Peruvian general election|elections of that year]] under the Avancemos alliance, but he was not elected. The following year, in the [[2001 Peruvian general election|2001 elections]], he once again ran for a seat in Congress, under the [[National Unity (Peru)|National Unity]] list, representing La Libertad, but he was not elected once again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2023/08/24/la-caida-de-michael-urtecho-el-excongresista-que-represento-a-las-personas-con-discapacidad-y-ahora-pasara-22-anos-en-prision-por-recortar-sueldos-a-sus-trabajadores/ |title=La caída de Michael Urtecho, el excongresista que representó a las personas con discapacidad y ahora pasará 22 años en prisión |publisher=Infobae |last=Calderón |first=Camila |date=24 August 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es}}</ref>
=== Congressman === In the [[2006 Peruvian general election|2006 elections]], he was elected to [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Congress]] for the 2006–2011 term on the joint center-right [[National Unity (Peru)|National Unity]] list. In March 2010, he left the National Renewal to join the [[National Solidarity (Peru)|National Solidarity Party]] (PSN) of Lima's mayor [[Luis Castañeda]]. He became the regional political coordinator of that party in La Libertad. Urtecho was re-elected in the [[2011 Peruvian general election|2011 elections]] for another five-year term this time, on the [[National Solidarity Alliance]]. While he was in congress he was chairman of the ''Special Commission for Disability'' (CODIS).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.codis.pe/ |title=CODIS of the Peruvian Congress website |access-date=9 June 2011 |language=es}}</ref> He served as Second Vice President of Congress during the 2009–2010 annual term and as Third Vice President of the Congress during the 2012–2013 annual term.
==== Disqualification ==== In September 2013, former staff members accused Urtecho of failing to pay them for work they had done. Urtecho stood down from the congressional ethics committee while an investigation was launched.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://elcomercio.pe/politica/gobierno/comision-etica-aprueba-unanimidad-investigar-congresista-urtecho-noticia-1632105?ref=flujo_tags_7612&ft=nota_133&e=titulo |title=Ética aprueba por unanimidad investigar a congresista Urtecho |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]] |date=17 September 2013 |access-date=6 June 2016 |language=es}}</ref> A separate investigation into Urtecho's income commenced shortly after, following allegations of financial irregularities stemming from his personal spending habits.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://elcomercio.pe/politica/gobierno/fiscalia-investiga-urtecho-su-esposa-presunto-enriquecimiento-ilicito-noticia-1635360?ref=flujo_tags_7612&ft=nota_123&e=titulo |title=Fiscalía investiga a Urtecho y su esposa por presunto enriquecimiento ilícito |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]] |date=24 September 2013 |access-date=6 June 2016 |language=es}}</ref> The final report published by the ethics committee called for Urtecho's suspension for illegal embellishment. In December 2013, the Congress voted to approve his [[desafuero]] and banned him from holding public office for a ten-year period.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://elcomercio.pe/politica/gobierno/legislador-urtecho-fue-destituido-cargo-pleno-congreso-noticia-1675074?ref=flujo_tags_7612&ft=nota_33&e=titulo |title=Legislador Urtecho fue destituido del cargo por el pleno del Congreso |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]] |date=19 December 2013 |access-date=6 June 2016 |language=es}}</ref> He was replaced in office by [[Carmen Rosa Núñez]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-jne-entrega-credencial-a-congresista-reemplaza-a-destituido-michael-urtecho-487812.aspx |title=JNE entrega credencial a congresista que reemplaza a destituido Michael Urtecho |publisher=Andina |location=Lima |date=23 December 2013 |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es}}</ref> On 24 August 2023, he was sentenced by the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Judiciary to 22 years and 5 months in prison for late payments against his employees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://larepublica.pe/politica/judiciales/2023/08/24/poder-judicial-condena-a-22-anos-y-5-meses-de-prision-a-michael-urtecho-por-recorte-de-sueldos-mochasueldos-368400 |title=Poder Judicial condena a 22 años y 5 meses de prisión a Michael Urtecho por recorte de sueldos |publisher=La República |last=Vasquez |first=Laura |date=24 August 2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |language=es}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|Wilson Urtecho}}
* [http://www.congreso.gob.pe/congresista/2006/murtecho/_presentacion.htm Official Congressional profile]
{{Current Peruvian Congress}} {{Peruvian Congress 2011-2016}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Urtecho, Wilson}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Trujillo, Peru]] [[Category:National Solidarity Party (Peru) politicians]] [[Category:Members of the Congress of the Republic of Peru]] [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:National Unity (Peru) politicians]] [[Category:National Renewal (Peru) politicians]] [[Category:Peruvian people with disabilities]] [[Category:People from the Department of La Libertad]] [[Category:People from Trujillo province, Peru]]