Peruvian President Alan Garcia said on Sunday his Prime Minister Javier Velasquez will step down as part of a broader cabinet shuffle that will be carried out this week so ministers can run for political office. Normally in Peru all ministers offer their resignations when a prime minister quits, but Garcia is expected to reappoint most of his cabinet. He has denied comments from insiders in his APRA party and the government that Finance Minister Mercedes Araoz would be replaced, according to Reuters. "The ministerial changes will be announced on Tuesday. I'm accepting the resignation of Javier Velasquez and his entire ministerial team," Garcia said in a report by state news agency Andina. Ministers must resign by October if they want to run for Congress or other posts in general elections next year. Peru is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and Araoz has been criticized by the central bank for allowing government spending to rise too quickly. Some members of APRA have also encouraged Araoz to join the party and run for office.
