The government of Peru accepts the resignation of a minister accused of raping a woman when she was 16 years old.

The Government of Peru announced on Sunday that the Minister of Energy and Mines, Ángelo Alfaro, has resigned from his position. The resignation comes days after his ex-partner and mother of his child accused him of raping her when she was 16 years old and he was 47. “Mr.

Ángelo Alfaro has submitted his resignation as Minister of Energy and Mines, which has been accepted,” announced the Presidency's account on social media platform X. The Executive also expressed its recognition and gratitude to Alfaro for his services, highlighting his management “especially in a complex context for national energy security,” referring to the gas crisis caused by a leak in a pipeline from the country's main gas field. At the same time the government made his resignation official, Alfaro—who issued a statement denying the allegations on Friday—appeared on the Sunday program Cuarto Poder to reiterate that he committed no crime.

“My only sin was falling in love; we fell in love,” said the now former minister, explaining that they had a non-violent relationship 25 years ago. The accusation became public on March 18, when a woman accused Alfaro of allegedly raping her when she was 16 and he was 47, and of having left her pregnant with a child whom he supposedly sent to Australia ten years ago. The events allegedly took place in 2000 in the Amazon city of Pucallpa, while the accuser, identified as Jennifer Canani, was in her fifth year of secondary education and Alfaro was the manager of the company Electro Ucayali, according to what the accuser stated on the program ‘Beto A Saber’ on Willax channel.

Following the controversy, Alfaro reported that his lawyer, Wilber Medina, would present evidence that supposedly confirms the accuser admitted, in a written conversation with her sister, to having received money and a rented apartment to tarnish his “honor and image. ” He also stated that it is his son's prerogative, who is 25 years old, to explain why he has no contact with his mother, and maintained that the accusation and campaign by the woman “are motivated by other interests that have nothing to do with supposed acts of justice. ” “It is not my intention to expose the accuser or my family with the media coverage of a delicate case, but it is necessary for the country to know the truth.

The defamation and blackmail complaint will be taken to the appropriate authorities,” he added. Regarding this matter, interim President José María Balcázar, known for defending child marriage and sexual relations with minors, told the newspaper El Comercio last Friday that the minister expressed his surprise at what he considers a political attack. “It is a family matter from many years ago where they were a couple, which he can prove that there have been no disagreements and the economic support he has given to the family has been punctual,” said the interim president, who is 83 years old.