Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola announced his resignation after an audio surfaced, purportedly showing him attempting to improperly influence government contracts.
Otarola clarified to the media on Tuesday that the recording dated back to 2021, a period when he held no governmental position, and alleged that it had been tampered with and edited as part of a scheme orchestrated by his political adversaries. Despite the public release of the recording, he had consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Following Otarola’s resignation, Peruvian law mandates that the other 18 cabinet members must also step down. President Dina Boluarte now has the option to either reinstate each minister or appoint replacements.
The audio, circulated by local media, depicts Otarola in conversation with a woman who later assumed various government positions.
Otarola curtailed his trip to Canada, where he was representing Peru at a mining conference, to address the unfolding situation.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea disclosed that Boluarte intends to revamp her cabinet as part of a broader initiative to rejuvenate the government’s overarching policies.
Cabinet reshuffles have become a routine occurrence in Peru. Just last month, Boluarte reorganized her cabinet, replacing four ministers, including those overseeing the economy and mining sectors, as Peru endeavors to navigate its fragile economy out of a recession.
