He declined this in order to participate in the 2006 election, as Frente de Centro's presidential candidate in an unsuccessful campaign, in which he came in fifth place, receiving 5.75% of the vote. He became a member of the Club of Madrid . Death On 21 August 2006, he fell seriously ill and was hospitalized for a week with a respiratory infection. A congressman wrongly reported that he had died and Congress observed a moment of silence in his honor, but he had not died and his health had in fact improved. However, in early October 2006, the country learned from a medical spokesperson that Mr. Paniagua's condition had not improved significantly. Valentín Paniagua died in the early hours of 16 October 2006 in a hospital in Lima at the age of 70. See also Politics of Peru List of presidents of Peru References External links Biography by CIDOB Foundation Article by Angus Reid Consultants dated April 21, 2005: Paniagua, García Top Candidates In Peru Guardian obituary, 18 October 2006 Valentín Paniagua dies (from El Comercio, in Spanish) 1936 births 2006 deaths Peruvian democracy activists Peruvian Roman Catholics Peruvian Ministers of Education Peruvian Ministers of Justice Presidents of Peru National University of San Marcos alumni Popular Action (Peru) politicians Presidents of the Congress of the Republic of Peru Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Peru Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco alumni