He was governor of
Yaracuy for the
National Convergence from 1995 to 2004. He lost to
Carlos Eduardo Gimenez Colmenares (
For Social Democracy) in the
2004 Venezuelan regional elections. In 2008 Lapi was granted asylum in
Peru, after escaping prison in
Venezuela. He had been charged with corruption, and said that he feared he would not receive a fair trial. Lapi's attempt to run again for Governor of Yaracuy in the
2008 Venezuelan regional elections was aborted by a Supreme Court declaration that he needed to be resident in the country to do so. ==References==