Peru’s President Humala swears in fourth prime minister
Cesar Villanueva takes prime minister post in Peru promising growth through investment
Peru’s President Ollanta Humala swore in a widely-praised regional politician as his fourth prime minister in a cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, but retained his finance minister despite rumours he might quit.
The new prime minister, Cesar Villanueva, has twice been elected president of the northern Amazonian region of San Martin and is affiliated with centre-left parties.
In his first interview after being sworn in, Villanueva said he supports the free-market economic policies that have been in place for years in Peru.
“The major lines have been drawn,” Villanueva, 67, said on the state television channel. “Growth is needed, more private investment is needed, and we have to seek strategic alliances between public and private investment to keep growing.”
Villanueva, who replaces Juan Jimenez, is the first prime minister picked by Humala to have been elected to a previous office. His appointment marks a shift away from decision-making typically dominated by a tiny political elite in Lima.
Humala, a former army officer and leftist radical before becoming president, has been criticised for being too reliant on insiders including his wife – the co-founder of his nationalist party – military chiefs and technocrats.