Humala's Non-Populist Cabinet

07/25/11
Latin America and the Caribbean
Politics and Security

Update July 26th: Late yesterday, President-Elect Humala named the final two cabinet members, and both are women. Patricia Salas will be education minister. The new culture minister will be celebrated afro-Peruvian musician Susana Baca (subject of this July 10 Los Angeles Times piece).

Naming a surprisingly moderate cabinet with a famous musician as culture minister recalls Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, whose first minister of culture in 2003 was Tropicália pioneer Gilberto Gil.

Businessman Salomón Lerner will head Ollanta Humala's cabinet (photo from Peru's daily El Comercio).

Peruvian President-Elect Ollanta Humala will be inaugurated on Thursday. Though Humala ran as a leftist firebrand in 2006, his cabinet selections are a very moderate, establishment group. They are also nearly all male.

  • Prime Minister: Salomón Lerner Ghitis - businessman, former deputy trade minister, opposed Alberto Fujimori’s government in the 1990s, and ran Humala’s presidential campaign.
  • Agriculture: Miguel Caillaux Zazzali - Peru’s daily La República describes him as “a cattle ranching businessman.”
  • Culture: (not named yet)
  • Defense: Daniel Mora - Retired army officer, congressman in former President Alejandro Toledo’s Perú Posible party.
  • Economy: Miguel Castilla - deputy finance minister in outgoing President Alán García’s government.
  • Education: (not named yet)
  • Energy and Mines: Carlos Herrera Descalzi - held the same post in the brief post-Fujimori government of President Valentín Paniagua.
  • Environment: Ricardo Giesecke - head of the National Food Assistance Program in Alejandro Toledo’s government.
  • Foreign Relations: Rafael Roncagliolo - career academic and head of the NGO Transparencia.
  • Health: Alberto Tejada - a former mayor of San Borja, a district of Lima, and a close associate of Humala’s.
  • Housing: René Cornejo - head of Peru’s investment promotion agency (ProInversión) in the Toledo and part of the García governments.
  • Interior: Óscar Valdés Dancuart - businessman and military officer who retired in 1991.
  • Justice: Francisco Eguiguren Praelli - La Republica describes him as a “recognized constitutionalist” lawyer.
  • Labor: Rudecindo Vega - another member of Toledo’s Perú Posible party.
  • Production: Kurt Burneo - former head of ex-President Toledo’s economic team, former chairman of Peru’s Central Bank.
  • Trade and Tourism: José Luis Silva - former president of Peru’s Association of Exporters (ADEX).
  • Transportation and Communication: Carlos Paredes - businessman from Arequipa.
  • Women and Social Development: Aída García Naranjo - women’s rights activist with Peru’s Center for Rights and Development (CEDAL). Peru’s daily El Comercio calls her “the left’s representative in the cabinet so far.” She is also the only woman.