MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Polls and proposed prime minister bloat disapproval for Peruvian president

President Pedro Castillo with his proposed prime minister Bellido (L) who has to face and obtain congressional approval on 26 August

No rest for Peruvian president Pedro Castillo, not only opinion polls show that he is the newly inaugurated president with the lowest approval and highest disapproval since 1980, but his candidate for prime minister is again in trouble this time for alleged money laundering and illegal financing of his political campaign as a member of congress.

Apparently, Guido Bellido, hopefully Peruvian prime minister financed his campaign with funds from Castillo's party Free Peru, which “were obtained through illicit 'donations' obtained by staff from the regional government of Junin in the heartland of Peru”, according to the Lima daily El Comercio and referred to documents from the Prosecution.

The case under the name of “The Dynamic boys from the heartland” involves a witness who has become an informer of the Prosecution and has supplied information of how members of the ruling Peru Free party operated in the region of Junin.

As a result of this Bellido has been included in the investigation of money laundering and illegal financing of political campaigns, together with Vladimir Cerron, founder of the Peru Free party and fifteen other individuals.

Illicit money was collected by the Junin Region Transport Office with staff demanding kickback money for delivering driving licenses. Prosecution also suspects that a similar system was used to pay for the current condemnation of Cerrón, for corruption while regional governor of Junin, and which prevented him to be the presidential candidate for the Peru Free party.

This impediment made Cuban trained neurosurgeon Cerrón invite rural teacher Pedro Castillo to be the presidential candidate, who finally defeated conservative hopeful Keiko Fujimori by 0,20% of votes.

Bellido's nomination still has to be confirmed by Congress, next 26 August, and if rejected, it will be the only chance the Executive can make a proposal without the threat of dissolving the Legislative and calling fresh elections if not approved.

Bellido has been identified as a member of the most radical wing of Free Peru and has also been accused of alleged apology of terrorism for praising Edith Lagos, one of the best known figures of the Maoist guerrilla movement Shining Path which ravaged Peru in the eighties.

Bellido was elected member of congress for the region of Cusco and later appointed as prime minister by president Castillo, who was criticized by the moderate left and the conservatives who want him out if the proposed cabinet is to be approved in the Legislative 26 August.

Public opinion polls from Ipsos for daily El Comercio show that Bellido has a 59% disapproval rating. The same poll pointed out that president Castillo has an acceptance rating of 38% and a 45% disapproval. The poll consulted 1,203 adults in all Peruvian regions, on 12/13 August with a plus/minus margin error of 2,5%.