LatinNews Daily - 12 August 2020 |
PERU: Martos cabinet wins congressional backing |
On 11 August Peru’s congress granted a vote of confidence in President Martín Vizcarra’s chosen Prime Minister Walter Martos, a retired army general, and his cabinet. Analysis: Martos won the backing of congress after deputies rejected the previous choice of prime minister, Pedro Cateriano, last week just 19 days after he had been appointed to the position. Martos presented much the same programme as Cateriano but his tone was more conciliatory and he moved the emphasis away from the mining sector and private sector investment to drive Peru’s economic recovery to the priority of overcoming the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Looking Ahead: Granting its backing for Martos does not mean congress will suddenly start working cooperatively with the Vizcarra administration. The vote was really an expression of broad support for Martos to lead the cabinet at such a challenging juncture, with Covid-19 rampant. Deputies are still likely to go after individual ministers, starting with a move to censure the education minister, Martín Benavides, and then the economy minister, María Antonieta Alva. |