Peru’s Congress votes to dismiss finance minister

‘Peru’s Congress has dismissed the finance minister following revelations that he allegedly asked the comptroller to green light a controversial project, a fresh blow to centrist President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and his efforts to jumpstart the faltering economy.
The single-chamber Congress voted 88-11 against embattled Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne, who had asked for a vote of confidence amid threats of censure and resigned within hours of the outcome.
“I thank Thorne for his outstanding work in the Finance Ministry and lament the decision taken by Congress,” Kuczynski said on Twitter.
The vote ended the crisis over one of Kuczynski’s closest cabinet members, but the dispute further strained relations between the opposition-dominated Congress and the executive.’
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