Peru President Loses Allies Over Controversial Cabinet Picks

(Bloomberg) -- Peru's President Pedro Castillo is quickly losing the backing of left-wing and centrist groups that have supported the government following his decision to appoint several controversial cabinet members earlier this week.

At the center of the latest political crisis is new Prime Minister Hector Valer, who had to deny in a Thursday news conference allegations of domestic violence against his wife and daughter. Calls for his replacement come from women's organizations, centrist lawmakers who had previously supported the president and right-wing parties that have always opposed him. Some have called for Castillo himself to resign.

Other cabinet picks have also outraged Peruvians, including a minister of women who has spoken against gender equality and an environment chief without experience in public management. Street protests against them are set to start in Lima just two days after they were sworn in and expected to continue through Saturday.

“Valer's cabinet was born with so many blemishes and wounds that it may have a shorter life than those of his predecessors,” said Fernando Tuesta, a Lima-based political analyst.

Late on Thursday, Vladimir Cerron, founder of the political party that helped Castillo reach the presidency, also criticized his cabinet choices. Castillo “has erred greatly” with the appointments, he said in a tweet.

Castillo's office didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Valer is Castillo's third prime minister in six months of government. The president has repeatedly made changes to his cabinet as he tries to appease socialists in his own party while retaining congressional support to fend off impeachment -- the fate of several of his predecessors in the politically volatile nation.

Growing Crisis

Amid the growing political crisis, Castillo traveled to Brazil on Thursday for a bilateral meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro -- an encounter between two leaders from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum.

Back at home, he faces not only protests in the streets of Lima and a myriad of crises, including a catastrophic oil spill and a surge in crime, but also growing opposition in congress.

Three right-wing parties have already announced that they will not give a required vote of confidence to the new cabinet, and will instead push again for Castillo's impeachment. Center-left leader Veronika Mendoza, who helped Castillo win the election by gaining some voters from Lima's upper and middle classes, also parted ways with the president this week.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that people's expectations of change have been betrayed,” she said in a Twitter post. “We will have to persist and take to the streets.”