Peru president names new PM amid political turmoil

Peru’s political crisis is deepening after prime minister Guido Bellido has stepped down only two months after taking office. On Thursday, President Castillo quickly swore in a new cabinet, Prensa Latina said.

Pedro Castillo on Wednesday named environmentalist Mirtha Vasquez as the new head of the government, replacing her controversial predecessor Guido Bellido who resigned hours earlier.

PM’s resignation, according to Bellido, was made at President Castillo’s “request”. That unexpected move also dissolved the entire cabinet, as per Peruvian law.

“Today I inform the country that we have accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Guido Bellido Ugarte, whom we thank for his services rendered,” Castillo said in a televised message. Bellido had been in office since July.

Vasquez belongs to the left-wing Broad Front, which has put environmental issues at the centre of a policy focus. The appointment of Bellido, an electronic engineer, and a political novice, was controversial from the very beginning.

Maria del Carmen Alva, head of the Peruvian Congress, and a member of right-wing Accion Popular welcomed the president’s decision to replace Bellido.