Hitler Mussolini Simeón Flores, 45, has been elected mayor of Queropalca, a district of roughly 730 residents in the Lauricocha province of Peru's Huánuco region, north of the capital Lima.
The result came in Peru's nationwide regional and municipal elections held on October 4, 2026, in which voters across the country's 25 regions chose a total of 13,148 authorities, including regional, provincial and district officials, for the 2027-2030 term, according to Infobae.
How he won
Simeón Flores ran for Ahora Nación, a party that describes itself as social-democratic, nationalist and centrist-left, according to Bluewin, which cited the party's own platform. He received 229 of 663 valid ballots cast in Queropalca, or 34.5%, according to Euronews and Bluewin.
His closest challenger, Gaspar Benilde Osorio Zambrano of the Renovación Popular party, finished with 204 votes (30.8%), putting the margin of victory at 25 votes. Infobae reported that a third candidate, Itala Yovana Santillán Vara of Partido País para Todos, took third place with 187 votes.
Infobae reported that Simeón Flores had previously belonged to the Fuerza Popular party before switching to Ahora Nación in 2025. Outside politics, he runs an investment group, Grupo de Inversiones Simeon SAC, based in Pillco Marca in the same region, according to Euronews and Infobae.
Infobae reported that his campaign platform in Queropalca included road infrastructure improvements, a municipal stadium, and tourism, education and health initiatives.
A name shared by thousands
Peru's national identity registry (RENIEC) shows that the name Hitler is not unique to Simeón Flores. Infobae cited registry figures showing 3,943 people in Peru named Hitler, 99 named Adolfo Hitler and 3 named Adolf Hitler. Bluewin, citing the same type of registry data, put the number of Peruvians named Hitler at about 2,349; the two outlets did not agree on the exact figure.
Other Peruvian officials have carried the name Hitler before. According to Euronews and Bluewin, Hitler Guesclin Alba Sánchez, of the Somos Perú party, served as mayor of Yungar from 2011 to 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. A lawmaker named Hitler Saavedra also sat in Peru's Congress until his death in 2024, the outlets reported.
Euronews reported that it is not uncommon for Peruvians to choose historical or otherwise unusual names for their children, and that such names do not indicate the bearer's own political views.
International attention
The win drew coverage well beyond Peru. Bluewin reported that the story was picked up by international media, largely because the mayor-elect's given names combine those of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi German dictator, and Benito Mussolini, the Italian Fascist leader who ruled from 1922 to 1943.
Euronews and Infobae both noted that Simeón Flores himself ran for a centre-left party, a detail several outlets highlighted given the contrast with the historical figures his name evokes.
What happens next
According to Infobae, authorities elected in Peru's October 2026 regional and municipal elections, including district mayors, will serve the 2027-2030 term.
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