Left-wing candidate Hitler Mussolini Simeon Flores wins local election in Peru

He's not even the first elected Hitler in Peru...

Yes, you read that right, a man - who is left-wing - but also called Hitler Mussolini, has become an elected official in his country.

While you might sit there and think this is just somebody having a 'laugh', there is no joke about this latest news in global politics.

As per Peru's official website for regional and municipal election results, Hitler Mussolini Simeon Flores is seen as top of the pile, winning 34.54% of the vote to become the Mayor of Queropalca.

Queropalca is a very rural district in the province of Lauricocha in the Huánuco department north of Lima.

He is part of the centre-left Ahora Nación (Now Nation) party and received 229 votes out of a total 663 cast.

Queropalca is a very rural district in the province of Lauricocha in the Huánuco department north of Lima. Image: Google Maps screenshot.

There is little currently known about Simeon Flores, other than his age, 45, and that he manages the Simeon Sac Investment Group.

Not the first Hitler to take up office in Peru

While you'd probably be forgiven for thinking this is a one-off case, Simeon Flores is not actually the first Hitler in his country.

Between 2011 and 2014, another man called Hitler Alba served as mayor of the small town of Yungar for the centre-right We Are Peru party.

There was even a high-profile clash of historic titles as Hitler Alba went up against Lennin Vladimir Rodriguez Valverde in 2018 for his position, although Alba came out victorious.

At the time, Alba even dubbed himself the "good Hitler", campaigning on slogans such as "Hitler returns" and Hitler with the people."

Sometimes you've just got to work with the hand you're dealt!

This all comes without mentioning Adolf Hitler Uunona, a local politician in Namibia who won an election in November last year for the fifth time in a row.

Why are people still given such names?

The names of infamous historical figures are sometimes - still not often - given to newborns in countries where their influence did not necessarily reach, or is not fully understood - many crop up in central and northern South America.

And, every now and again, it certainly makes for a surreal headline, without trivialising the atrocities many of these historical leaders committed in the past.

Of course, that is not to be conflated with local politicians just trying to get involved in some good old-school democracy!