Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen resigned Tuesday on the eve of a no-confidence vote against him, as the government faces mounting pressure over a spike in violent crime.
Adrianzen was the most trusted ally of woefully unpopular President Dina Boluarte, whose government is accused of failing to tackle a wave of killings linked to extortion gangs.
The 58-year-old Adrianzen presented his “irrevocable resignation” to Boluarte and ministers, images broadcast from government headquarters showed.
It is the latest episode of political turmoil in Peru, where Adrianzen was Boluarte’s third prime minister in less than three years. The former lawyer took office in March 2024 after his predecessor quit in an influence-peddling scandal.
Members of parliament from both the left and right had called for Adrianzen’s ouster over his handling of the unprecedented wave in gang violence, which has seen soldiers deployed under a state of emergency.
While extortion is a problem across Latin America, it has taken on alarming proportions in Peru — a phenomenon blamed partly on criminal gangs such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua that operates in several Latin American countries.
Adrianzen’s toppling would inevitably have led to the resignation of the entire ministerial cabinet, in accordance with Peruvian law.
His departure came ahead of fresh protests against Boluarte, who has clung to power despite numerous scandals and demonstrations demanding she step down.
With no party of her own, Boluarte governs with the support of a right-wing coalition that holds the legislative majority.
