Peru’s transitional President Jose Maria Balcazar swore in Juan Carlos Velasco Guerrero as the new Minister of Health on Wednesday, just two weeks after the current cabinet was formed, following the abrupt resignation of his predecessor amid allegations of political pressure from congressional factions.

The president received Velasco, a surgeon with public administration experience, at the Government Palace for the swearing-in ceremony attended by other cabinet members. Velasco now assumes leadership of the health sector during a critical transitional period ahead of general elections in April.

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Some political sectors linked Quiroz’s resignation to alleged pressures on the president to increase the presence of allies of the political parties with the greatest weight in Congress in key positions within the Executive branch and the public sector.

When asked by reporters Tuesday whether political factions were influencing his administration, Balcázar dismissed the notion that the Marxist party Free Peru (Perú Libre, in Spanish) could manipulate his government, calling such suggestions “a bit of a joke,” given that Fujimorist-led Popular Force (Fuerza Popular, in Spanish) and Alliance for Progress (APP, in Spanish) are the ones holding a parliamentary majority.

Luis Quiroz submitted his irrevocable resignation to the presidential office on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Denisse Miralles. Quiroz had originally joined the cabinet under former interim president Jose Jeri in October and was later ratified by Balcazar when he assumed office.

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