This archive report was first published on 3 November 2021.
Peru has been one of the hardest-hit countries by the Covid-19 pandemic, with a staggering death toll of over 200,000 people, the world's highest per capita rate, as of November 3, 2021.
On November 2, 2021, just days after a government decree prohibited gatherings, Peru's interior minister, Luis Barranzuela, hosted a Halloween party at his home in Lima, sparking widespread outrage and criticism.
Barranzuela, a 58-year-old former policeman, initially claimed the gathering was for work purposes and that he was the victim of 'false accusations.'
However, the backlash was too intense, and he eventually resigned, paving the way for a new interior minister to take over.
President Pedro Castillo tweeted, 'I have received and accepted the resignation of Interior Minister Luis Barranzuela. In the next few hours, I will take the oath of office of whoever will succeed him.'
