Fujimori forms Peru cabinet with military general in Interior, signals to U.S.

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori has unveiled her new cabinet, a 19-member team that notably features only two women and includes a military general appointed to lead the Ministry of the Interior. Luis Galarreta, Fujimori's long-time confidant and vice president, has been named prime minister, signaling a government built on trusted allies and experienced figures from past administrations.

A significant diplomatic gesture appears to be the appointment of Carlos Espá as the Minister of Foreign Relations. Espá, a journalist and former presidential candidate, previously worked for fifteen years as the head of press and communications for the U.S. Embassy in Lima. His selection is interpreted as a move to strengthen ties with the United States.

While Elmer Cuba, an economist with experience on the Central Reserve Bank's board and who was part of Fujimori's 2016 campaign, will oversee economic policy, the initial expectation that Luis Carranza would take the Economy Ministry did not materialize. In a notable decision, Fujimori has appointed Army General César Astudillo to the Ministry of the Interior. Astudillo, who was part of the commandos involved in the 1997 rescue of the Japanese ambassador's residence and rose to become chief of the Joint Armed Forces Command, will lead operations against organized crime in emergency zones, aligning with Fujimori's stated intention to place the military in charge of such efforts.

The cabinet also sees the return of several former ministers. Juan Antonio Chang will resume his role at the Ministry of Education, and Rafael Rey, a close associate of Fujimori, will head the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Rafael Belaúnde, grandson of former President Fernando Belaúnde Terry, has been appointed to the Ministry of Defense. Additionally, former Constitutional Court magistrate Ernesto Álvarez will lead the Ministry of Justice, and Juan Sheput will return to the Ministry of Labor. Rogers Valencia, a tourism businessman, is set to lead the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.