PERU

On November 17, Francisco Sagasti was sworn in as President of the Republic and will complete the five-year term, until July 2021. The appointment comes in the wake of the destitution of president Vizcarra on November 9 and his successor Manuel Merino de Lama on November 10.

In his speech Sagasti detailed the main challenges facing his government, which include ensuring that next year’s elections “are clean and smooth,” addressing the “serious economic and health crisis” caused by the pandemic, strengthening governance in the areas of science and technology, and playing a “responsible role in the administration” of public spending.

He also pointed out that one of the axes of his administration will be the fight against corruption. “We will support the work of prosecutors, wherever they come from, wherever they are. We will strengthen the financial intelligence unit to fight against money laundering from illegal activities, and from the Government we will act with total transparency,” he said.