Peru: a novel of intrigue in the cabinet of Pedro Castillo | The president did not approve the request for resignation of the Minister of Labor questioned

From Lima

The novel continues, and the crisis, around the Minister of Labor, who refused to resign after the chief of staff asked him to. A story of marches and counter-marches, which began with the attacks by the parliamentary and media right against the minister, whom he accuses of having joined the Maoist armed group Sendero Luminoso in the 1980s, and which focused on the table internal tensions and divisions within government and their problems when making decisions.

President Pedro Castillo has not ratified the request for the resignation of his minister’s chief of staff, but he has also not come out to support the Minister of Labor. In the facts, Presidential silence keeps Minister Iber Maraví in his post and is an implicit disavowal by Chief of Staff Guido Bellido. One of the reasons why the president would keep the Minister of Labor would be to not give the impression of giving in to pressure from the right which demands his departure. Another reason is linked to internal conflicts within the government and to the fact that Maraví, professor and trade unionist like Castillo, is very close to the president.

Right-wing questions

The so far never ending novel began last Monday when Bellido publicly announced that he had asked Maraví to step down and that he would be stepping down. It was his response to questions from the right against the minister, whom they accused of being a “terrorist” on the basis of a police report from forty years ago in which it is said that at that time. at the time he was a member of Sendero. Maraví, who has never been convicted of these charges, rejects the accusation. Bellido, who is also being questioned by the right and the media, asked Maraví to resign three days after the opposition Congress gave him the vote of confidence, essential to stay in office. By handing over the head of the Minister of Labor, the chief of staff hoped to satisfy the right-wing sector that he granted him the vote of confidence and that he demand the departure of the minister, and to tone down the attacks against him by the right wing which voted to deny him confidence and the media.

The right does not only want to impeach Maraví, its strategy is to overthrow the ministers “one by one”, as their most radical spokespersons have announced, as part of a destabilizing plan that aims at the end of the line against President. Just three weeks after taking office, due to pressure from the right Castillo dismissed his chancellor, the former guerrilla and sociologist Héctor Béjar, a recognized figure on the left. Béjar is not part of Free Peru, but his departure as a concession to the right upset the ruling party. After this episode, perceived as a sign of weakness of the government, the Executive does not want this image to be repeated in the case of the Minister of Labor quickly to pressure from the political and media right.

Struggles within the government

But behind this story it is not only the pressures of the right, but also the struggles within the government, in which coexists the sector closest to Castillo in tension, formed mainly by leaders of the teachers’ union like him; the sector of the ruling party, Free Peru, led by its controversial secretary general, Vladimir Cerron, a former governor given a suspended prison sentence for economic mismanagement and under investigation for other corruption charges; and by government allies from other leftist groups. Cerron press for power spaces. This ministerial crisis occurs in the context of this standoff between Castillo and Cerrón. While the Minister of Labor is part of the circle of teachers close to the president, the chief of staff, who asked him to resign, is part of the management of Peru Libre who responds to Cerrón.

The ruling party’s secretary general publicly celebrated the announcement of Maraví’s departure, which he says consolidated power for Bellido, his most important record in government. But Castillo, without speaking publicly, imposed his power to keep his minister. Bellido’s attempt to impeach Maraví came days after, according to journalistic versions cited by government sources, Castillo considered removing him from the cabinet seat, but gave up after a tense conversation with Cerrón. With the coup to publicly call for the resignation of Maraví, which he launched without the green light from the president, Bellido, in addition to satisfying the right that questions him, sought to strengthen his position in the government and to weaken the circle of teachers close to him President. It was an attempt to consolidate power, both against the opposition and within the executive. But the bet turned out badly. The resignation he announced did not materialize and he found himself speechless. He wanted to get stronger and ended up getting weaker.

“This ministerial crisis, which was a comedy of errors, is a manifestation which there are two chiefs in the government, those of Castillo and Cerrón. By keeping the Minister of Labor, Castillo seeks to stop Cerrón’s advance in this war of positions between the two. I don’t think this situation can last long. For Castillo, the scenario is very complicated, all exits involve a defeat and the hard right sees no opportunity to provoke his dismissal. If he broke with Cerrón and Peru Libre, he would lose the support of the ruling party in Congress. But I think he will have no choice but to break up, it is impossible to rule while maintaining this duality, with Cerrón telling him what to do. During the break with Cerrón, his only way out would be to move to the center to seek new allies. Castillo is favored by the fact that the right is divided and has its own internal problems, ”he said. PageI12 historian and political scientist Nelson Manrique, commenting on the scenario that opens up to the government with this crisis.

Manrique believes that Castillo’s silence in this crisis and other important moments “gives arms to the right, it contributes to destabilize his government, he alienates the support of those who voted for him, who believe he does not there is no government that makes resolutions, which is inexcusable at a time when we have the pandemic, the economic crisis, unemployment. ”“ Castillo avoids the press, does not make statements, because he has no in a clear direction, he doesn’t have anything clear to say, “he said.

Although Castillo has stopped his announced departure, Maraví doesn’t seem to have much time in government anymore. Congress is preparing to question him about accusations of his alleged militant past in Sendero, with the intention of censoring him, which would force him to step down. Everything indicates that the opposition has the votes to achieve censorship.

In this scenario of ministerial crisis, attacks by the opposition against ministers and internal tensions within the government, it is not excluded that with the probable departure of the Minister of Labor, who if he does not fall before him would be forced to resign by Congress. , other changes are added in the cabinet. Changes that could involve a recomposition of forces within the ruling party.