Peru’s Prime Minister’s Resignation Unveils Corruption Scandal

Written by Joseph Cain | March 14 2024

Prime Minister Alberto Otarola’s

Peru’s political turmoil continues into 2024, with Prime Minister Alberto Otarola’s March 5^th announcement of his resignation after audio leaked that implicated him in influencing government contracts for a former love interest. Otarola claims that the recordings were from 2021 when he was not a government official. He also believes that political opponents framed him by manipulating and releasing the recordings. He chose to resign, even though he professed innocence, to stem the political damage to President Dina Boularte and allow her to recompose her cabinet. Per Peruvian law, with the resignation of the Prime Minister, all 18 cabinet positions must also resign. However, those officials can later be reinstated by the President. 

Peru’s political stability has deteriorated over the last seven years, evidenced by six different presidents in that timeframe including current President Dina Boularte. President Boularte was brought to power by the Peruvian congress’s decision to impeach as president and imprison leftist Pedro Castillo in late 2022 for his attempt to dissolve the congress and rule by decree. With Boularte’s ascension to the presidency, widespread calls have been for her to step down and allow for elections. In the past year, 49 anti-government protestors died due to security forces’ attempts to manage protests. This latest scandal only adds more stress to her deeply unpopular rule in Peru and could result in additional protests calling for presidential elections.