Cusco District Names Virgin of Fátima Lifetime Mayor

Why this is here: Mayor William Peña Farfán was in a coma for 25 days due to Covid-19 and believes his recovery was thanks to the Virgin Mary.

In Cusco, Peru, the Wanchaq district authorities named the Virgin of Fátima as its lifetime mayor. Municipal officials, the local parish, and Catholic devotees participated in a procession removing the statue from its chapel. Mayor William Peña Farfán presented the Virgin with a mayoral sash colored with the flag of the Tahuantinsuyo empire.

The district recognizes the Virgin’s 75-year presence among residents—predating the district’s formal founding by four years—and its importance to the community’s spiritual life. The Wanchaq Municipal Council approved the designation following a formal request from the Virgin of Fátima’s brotherhood and parish.

Peña Farfán, who attributes his recovery from 25 days in a coma during the Covid-19 pandemic to the Virgin Mary, plans to institutionalize a yearly festival honoring her in Túpac Amaru Plaza. Council member Jhullber Del Carpio and brotherhood member Elvis Dianderas spearheaded the effort to formally recognize the Virgin’s devotion.