Peru: Former Defense Minister is Appointed Prime Minister

On Wednesday, Peru's President Dina Boluarte appointed Luis Alberto Otarola as her chief of staff. He had been Defense Minister until today.

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This appointment came just 11 days after she appointed former top prosecutor Pedro Miguel Angulo as Chief of Staff. Boluarte appointed Jorge Chavez as her new Defense Minister. He already led that institution during the administration of President Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020).

On Dec. 15, the Peruvian government decreed a "state of emergency," which allows the Armed Forces to participate in internal security tasks. Such a decision has given Otarola a fundamental role within the Boluarte cabinet.

As a result of the measures applied to control the protests, the then Ministers of Education and Culture resigned from their posts. In her substitution, Boluarte appointed Oscar Becerra as Education Minister and Leslie Urteaga as Culture Minister.

The tweet reads, "Police savagely attack protesters in Huancayo."

On Wednesday, the Peruvian president ratified Ana Cecilia Gervasi (Foreign Relations), Alex Contreras (Economy), Jose Tello (Justice), Rosaberta Gutierrez (Health), Nelly Paredes (Agrarian Development and Irrigation ), and Eduardo Garcia (Work).

They will be accompanied by Sandra Belaunde (Production), Luis Helguero (Foreign Trade), Oscar Vera (Energy and Mines), Paola Lazarte (Transportation and Communications), Hania Perez de Cuellar (Housing), Grecia Rojas (Women and Vulnerable Populations), Albina Ruiz (Environment), and Julio Demartini (Social Inclusion). 

All of them are part of the second cabinet of ministers that Boluarte set up in less than two weeks after receiving the Peruvian presidency. In the next 30 days, Prime Minister Otarola will have to go to Congress to request his vote of confidence.