Peru: opposition delays approval of Pedro Castillo’s nomination and calls for series of ministerial changes

The Peruvian opposition demanded on Tuesday that the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, change several ministers to approve the inauguration of his government, whose Prime Minister Guido Bellido, started a series of contacts with various parties.

Precisely, Bellido is one of the members of the Executive which generates the most rejection of the opposition to be an official member of the Congress of the more orthodox Marxist left which represents the Peru Free party and also for being accused of alleged terrorism apologies.

At the headquarters of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), Bellido has started the round of negotiations with Acción Popular, the party which presides over the Congress through its deputy Maricarmen Alva.

“We want there to be governability in the country, but we do not agree with the appointments of certain ministers. We hope they will step aside “declared before entering the meeting with the Congressman of Bellido, Carlos Zeballos, parliamentary spokesperson for Popular Action.

Feeling of “uncertainty”

In the same vein, the mayor of Lima had demonstrated a few minutes earlier, Jorge Munoz, another member of Popular Action who believes that certain ministers elected by Castillo generate “uncertainty”.

Besides Bellido, Muñoz specifically referred to the Interior Ministers, Juan Manuel Carrasco; Foreigner, Héctor Béjar, and Work, Íber Maraví.

On Carrasco regretted not having resigned his post as prosecutor before being sworn in as minister and de Béjar criticized his guerrilla past, while de Maraví questioned the regularization of President Castillo’s teachers’ union, which had been rejected by the previous administration.

“These are concrete and clear actions that leave a lot to be desired. I would tell President Castillo to change the wheel and change the ministers questioned before going to receive a vote of nomination ”, Muñoz expressed.

The most “masculine” firm for 15 years

The Castillo cabinet has also been criticized for the low presence of women among ministers: two against 17 men. The former Prime Minister of Peru, Violeta Bermúdez, who has officially transferred her post to her successor, Guido Bellido, said she was “worried”.

“It seems to me that they have forgotten that in Peru we also exist women. It is essential that wardrobes, which are the most important spaces in our countries, are integrated into a fair by men and by women, ”said Bermúdez after meeting Bellido to sign the transfer of administration.

“We are in the 21st century and women cannot be ignored from public management. Men and women must contribute equitably to the development of our country, ”he added.

The only women in the first government appointed by Castillo are the Vice-President and Minister of Development and Social Inclusion, Dina boluarte, and the Minister of Women and Vulnerable Populations, Anahi Durand. This is the first time in 15 years that the Peruvian government has had so little female presence, having achieved parity in recent years, with particular concern in this regard during Sagasti’s tenure.

The far right will not dialogue

Some parties have already planned that they will not attend the meeting with Bellido, like the far right Renovación Popular, whose spokesperson Norma Yarrow said that “the problem is Bellido, he is a person who has investigations related to terrorism”.

“I see no way to have a meeting with Mr. Bellido. Personally, I will not accept it. I think this is a person who has been questioned for a long time,” Achillea said.

“I would talk about the vote of confidence if I changed cabinet, it would be a sign of the president’s understanding of the Peruvians,” he added.

In the event that Congress does not grant the nomination to the government, the legislature would lose its only opportunity to censor the executive in the first round. without the president having the power to dissolve parliament and call new legislative elections.

For that, some members of the opposition saw the formation of this outright government as a provocation, and members of Congress like Adriana Tudela, from the right Avanza País, speaks directly of a possible dismissal of Castillo.

“I think the vacancy (dismissal) is a possibility. It is absolute irresponsibility to have assembled the cabinet that was assembled and it will depend on the votes at the end of the dayTudela said on social media.

Likewise, the spokesperson for the Fujimori party Popular Force, Hernando Guerra-García, assured that his parliamentary group will not be afraid to censor governments and “if it is necessary to lose our seats (seats), so be it.”

(With information from EFE)

Read on: