Humala Replaces 10 Ministers After Mine Protests Shake Peru
This article is for subscribers only.
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala swore in 10 new ministers led by a former army officer as he seeks to take a firmer stance on protests that halted the nation’s biggest investment project.
Humala named Oscar Valdes cabinet chief to replace Salomon Lerner, who unexpectedly quit after the four-month-old government declared a state of emergency Dec. 4 to suppress protests against Newmont Mining Corp’s $4.8 billion Minas Conga mine expansion. Lerner, a former businessman, led the government’s unsuccessful bid to negotiate an end to a month of sometimes violent marches by peasants against the gold and copper project.