Peruvian President Pedro Castillo asked the Peruvian Congress on Monday to work together to draft a law for the “nationalization or nationalization” of the Camisea gas, the Andean country’s largest natural gas field. “It is necessary to give Peruvians what the people have produced,” the leftist president said in a speech broadcast on state television.
The statement is a change from the tone of Castillo taking office in July, when he said that his government “does not even remotely intend to nationalize any economy”.
Under the Peruvian Constitution, the nationalization of a private company needs congressional approval, which would be unlikely with the current parliament, which has a majority of the opposition on the right.
Castillo’s announcement, which also reinforced his case for constitutional reform, increased uncertainty in the market. The resumption of the debate on the nationalization of gas provoked a devaluation of the Peruvian sun and an increase in the value of the dollar.
The statements were made hours before the Peruvian Legislative session for the approval of the new ministerial cabinet, which was postponed due to the death of a member of parliament. This is Castillo’s second cabinet in less than three months in office.
The new prime minister, or chief of staff, Mirtha Vásquez, replaces Guido Bellido, who belongs to the most radical wing of Free Peru. Vásquez is considered from the moderate wing of the Peruvian left. The move was made amidst a rift in Free Peru; party leader Vladimir Cerrón said a few days ago that his bench would not give the vote of confidence to the new cabinet.
Congressional session adjourned by death of congressman
The plenary session to decide the vote of confidence in the cabinet of Peru’s new prime minister, Mirtha Vásquez, which would be held at the country’s unicameral Congress on Monday, was postponed due to the death of parliamentarian Fernando Herrera, who was from the Peru party. Free, the same as President Pedro Castillo.
Herrera was not in the plenary, but in a hospital in Lima, according to Álex Paredes, another party lawmaker. The spokesman for the panel of the legend, Waldemar Cerrón, stated that the reason for the death was a cardiorespiratory arrest.
The congressman died when two hours had passed since the inauguration debate in parliament, and while lawmakers were preparing to cast their votes on the ministerial team. During the morning, the head of the council of ministers Mirtha Vásquez presented the government’s general policies.
Moments after the news of the death of Herrera, who represented the region of Tacna, Congress paid a minute of silence, and the president of the house, María del Carmen Alva, ordered the adjournment of the session.
Pedro Castillo, who was not in the Peruvian capital and was on schedule in the province of Bagua, in the north of the country, lamented the death of his supporter. “I join in the pain of his family. We will remember him as a defender of democracy, someone who fought to end social differences,” the Peruvian president said on his social networks.
Castillo and members of his cabinet attended on Tuesday Herrera’s funeral, held at the Peruvian Congress.
If Vásquez does not receive the vote of confidence, he will have to resign and Castillo will have to appoint a new 19-member cabinet. The vote of confidence requires the approval of a minimum of 66 votes in Congress, where Free Peru has a minority of 37 among 130 seats.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/peruvian-president-asks-congress-for-gas-nationalization-law/
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