Peruvian Interior Minister Resigns After Accusations of Organising Halloween Party Amid Pandemic
08:11 GMT 03.11.2021 (Updated: 09:33 GMT 03.11.2021)
© AP Photo / Martin Mejia
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Peruvian Minister of Interior Affairs Luis Barranzuela Vite has announced he will resign amid criticism following media reports he organised a party at his house, despite passing a ban on such events due to the COVID-19 situation.
"I made the democratic decision to permanently resign as minister of interior affairs, rejecting false accusations against my professional career", the minister tweeted.
He tomado la decisión democrática de renunciar de forma irrevocable al cargo de Ministro del Interior, rechazando las falsas acusaciones a mi trayectoria profesional y en respeto a la gobernabilidad y la confianza del Presidente de la República.
— Luis Barranzuela Vite (@ViteBarranzuela) November 3, 2021
On the night of Halloween, 31 October, a noisy party was held at Barranzuela's house, the local agency Latina reported. A video recorded at the minister's house showed high-profile guests arriving at the party throughout the night. Loud music could be heard playing in the background.
In the same week, the minister banned public meetings and festive events in order to avoid an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Barranzuela himself denies all accusations of having organised a party at home and insists he held a workshop that lasted late into the night.
"I would like to inform you that I received and accepted the resignation of Interior Minister Luis Barranzuela", Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones tweeted.
Barranzuela's successor will be announced in the near future.
Peru was hit hard by the pandemic, with over 200,000 deaths and a total of over 2.2 million positive cases although new daily infections have been under the 1,000 mark for over a month.
