Peru’s President Dina Boluarte began swearing in the new cabinet, led by lawyer Pedro Angulo as the country’s new Prime Minister, in a ceremony that caps a week of extreme political tension in the country following the arrest of former President Pedro Castillo for attempting to perpetrate a coup d’état.
Angulo, a lawyer from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, has served as dean of the Lima Bar Association, and has been a former senior prosecutor. In addition, he was presidential candidate of the Contigo political party, of the former Peruanos Por el Kambio (PPK).
The ceremony has started in the Elespuro room of the Pizarro Palace with some delay over the appointments, which also included Alberto Otárola as Minister of Defense, César Augusto Cervantes Cárdenas (Interior), Alex Contreras (Economy and Finance), José Andrés Tello Alfaro (Justice), Ana Cecilia Gerbasi Díaz (Foreign Affairs) or Óscar Vera Gargurevich (Energy and Mines), in a cabinet with eight women in the absence of the appointments of Labor and Transport and Communications.
DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW AND BALANCE OF POWERS, «ESSENTIAL LINE».
In a speech after being sworn in, the President assured that «the consolidation of democracy, the rule of law, the balance of powers and governance» will be the «essential line» of her Government «of dialogue, economic growth and social cohesion».
The President has extended her «open hand» to «attend to just demands» in the midst of the tension after Castillo’s arrest. «I am attentive to the social demands», declared Boluarte, who also assured that her mandate «is not a blank check but a commitment to overcome the political crisis and the serious effects of the pandemic».
Hours earlier, however, the president had to turn to her Twitter account to send a message of calm after last night’s protests in the country, led by supporters of Castillo, which have resulted in at least eight injured (four civilians, four policemen).
«Respect, dialogue and tolerance are essential in democracy. The National Police has informed me that last night there were 7 detainees, in addition to 4 civilians and 4 policemen injured in some protests. We guarantee the unrestricted fulfillment of Human Rights», he indicated.
Boluarte declared that, after the ceremony, he will begin preparations to visit former President Pedro Castillo, who is serving seven days of provisional imprisonment at the National Directorate of Special Operations (Dinoes).
