Castillo's government continues with a new cabinet 1:09
(CNN) -
Just a month after the Peruvian Congress approved the cabinet of the new president Pedro Castillo, the president of its Council of Ministers, Guido Bellido Ugarte, resigned this Wednesday.
In his place Castillo appointed Mirtha Vásquez, former president of Congress, who must now obtain the vote of confidence from the chamber he led.
Pedro Castillo announces the resignation of Guido Bellido to the presidency of the Council of Ministers of Peru
This is the first great moment of tension in the government that took office just two months ago.
Along with Bellido, seven of the 19 ministers of the Council also resigned.
The new cabinet
His replacements and the remaining 12 ministers, who were ratified, were sworn in on Wednesday as the new presidential cabinet.
Mirtha Vásquez, former president of Congress, was appointed president of the Council of Ministers of Peru.
Bellido said in a press conference that the ministers were asked to resign but the reasons were not explained to them, and he charged against "powers that be that govern, pressure, act, denounce or persecute" that are over the government.
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Castillo, on the other hand, said that "Peru expects a lot from its authorities, it is time to put Peru above all ideology and partisan and isolated positions."
Who is Mirtha Vásquez?
Vásquez, 46, is a lawyer "committed to organizations for the defense of human rights Aprodeh and the National Coordinator of Human Rights", as described in a statement from the Peruvian presidency, and entered as a congressman representing Cajamarca for the Broad Front in March 2020.
She describes herself on her Facebook profile as a "Cajamarca lawyer, environmental activist and human rights defender."
According to biographical data from the Voto Informado portal, belonging to the National Elections Jury of Peru, Vásquez studied law at the National University of Cajamarca and completed a postgraduate degree in social management at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
The interim president of Peru, Francisco Sagasti, greets the head of Congress, Mirtha Vásquez, after receiving the presidential sash during his swearing-in ceremony in Lima, on November 17, 2020. (Credit: CESAR VON BANCELS / AFP via Getty Images )
Teacher and lawyer
She worked as a teacher at the National University of Cajamarca between 2009 and 2019, and then worked as a lawyer in the Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (Aprodeh) between 2018 and 2019, and in the non-governmental organization GRUFIDES between 2003 and 2019.
She became president of Congress in November 2020, during the transitional government of President Francisco Sagasti, who took office after the resignation of interim President Manuel Merino, according to the Andina news agency.
"I appreciate the confidence of President Pedro Castillo to work for the Government and the reforms that the country needs from the presidency of the Council of Ministers," Vásquez said this Thursday on his Twitter account.
"For this country of women and men who fight to live in dignity, without discrimination and who promote real changes," he added.
With information from Andy Ortíz, Abel Alvarado and Wayne Chang.
Pedro Castillo