Reuters Peru says Peru's FinMin Mercedes Araoz is to be replaced this week

Here's the link. Here's how the note starts:

By Patricia Velez and Terry Wade

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's Finance Minister Mercedes Araoz will be replaced in a cabinet shuffle this week, three sources in the ruling party and close to the government said on Tuesday.

One of the sources said Ismael Benavides, who once led one of Peru's largest banks, will be the new finance minister and that a swearing in ceremony was slated for Thursday.

"It's going to be Thursday at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT)," the source said.

"We know that Mercedes Araoz will leave no matter what," said another source.

Benavides, who also previously served as agriculture minister under President Alan Garcia, declined to comment.

Click through for the rest. Nice scoop, guys.

Peru: Saliva for snot

As usual any official announcement doesn't happen until the actual swearing-in ceremony due to happen at 5pm Lima time today, but El Comercio is reporting that Javier Velasquez, corrupt career politico and APRA congress stalwart, has been chosen by Twobreakfasts as the new PM. Velasquez is one of those politicos that has always had the whiff of major corruption around him but has only been fingered for a couple of minor infringements, such as when his congressional secretary was found to have been getting favours from the congress head in return for unknown kickbacks. Then there was that time Velasquez was on state business in Brazil and was photographed with a sultry maiden in a nightclub while spending money claimed as legitimate expenses later....y'know, typical smalltime stuff.

Other changes include the big bye-bye for the awful Mercedes Cabanillas as Interior Minister, to be replaced by ex-police chief Octavio Salazar, Rafael Rey in as Defence Minister (goodbye even worse Antaro Flores), Mercedes Araoz moved sideways to become Minister of Production, with the new Commerce Minister Martin Perez from the right wing UN party.

The bottom line to the reshuffle can be summed up with a South American ditty; "Cambiar baba x moco" (like changing saliva for snot).

Argentina reshuffles

Boudouuuuu!

If your government was soundly whipped at the polls as Argentina's has recently been whipped, you'd replace a bunch of ministers too. However Klishtina has decided that the best way to cope with the rejection of her policies is to simply ignore that it happened and reshuffle one set of ultra-Kircherists with another.

So farewell, then, to Carlos Fernandez, the (now ex) FinMin that nobody even noticed was there. And farewell, then, to Sergio Massa, the (now ex) cabinet chief who was brought in from his mayorial-type role in the Tigre region (North of BsAs) because he'd been doing a great job and was a breath of fresh air and would lead ministers in a new direc.....etc....errrrr...it didn't happen, ok?

The new FinMin is a certain Amado Boudou (a last name that makes Francophones titter), party loyalist who was having fun at ANSES (the social security people) and was basically next in line anyway. He now gets to play at big numbers and DON'T TOUCH THOSE DIALS! until 2011 when it's all over for this team. So stfu and think about the pension at the end of the period, Amado. As for cabinet chief, ultra-K of all ultra-Ks Anibal Fernandez has got the job, moving over from the Justice Ministry. A stuffed suit named Julio Alak, who was in charge of the newly nationalized Aerolineas Argentinas until yesterday, is now the Justice Dude.

The bottom line is that this is the cabinet reshuffle of a dead duck administration. Nothing has changed and nothing will change due to yesterday's botox injections and new shades of eyeliner. We now enter The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul as regards Argentine politics, so wake me up when the 2011 Pres election campaigning starts.

Peru's cabinet reshuffle happens this week

Twobreakfasts this morning announced that the current band of ineffective and corrupt puppets that make up his cabinet will be changed this weekend, including the official goodbye for Yehude Simon. Speculation is now underway about who will make up the new cabinet of ineffective and corrupt puppets with "Who gets the PM job?" top of the list of chattering class questions that nobody outside Peru really cares about.

Thus, as Otto would just love to join the chattering classes one of these days, here's a list of possibles with odds and comments by your humble scribe:

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski: Most likely choice right now. PPK has made it clear he's running for Prez in 2011 and the PM job will give him the public radar he needs to launch a campaign. Architect of the economic reforms in the Toledo gov't. Rich and influential and likes reminding people of those two facts. Current odds: Even money.

Rafael Rey: The current Ambassador to Italy, Twobreakfasts met with Rey last weekend for informal talks about.....we don't know (it was off agenda). Not an APRA party member but rightwing leaning and proponent of orthodox economic measures (i.e. status quo in Peru). Member of Opus Dei. Current odds: 3/1 (but quite likely to get a cabinet job).

José Chang: Current Education Minister, APRA lapdog and Twobreakfasts sycophant. About as charismatic as a vanilla blancmange. If Twobreakfasts wants to play it neutral (unlikely) he has a squeak. Current odds: 6/1.

Mercedes Araoz: Current Minister of Foreign Commerce and the point person in the Free Trade Agreements. An honest politico (that rare breed in Peru) and generally liked (perhaps better said is 'not disliked') by both peers and citizens. May be too valuable where she already is. Current odds: 8/1.

Lourdes Flores: Head of the UN party and rightwing fave, Flores might accept if offered to give herself radar before 2011. Twobreakfasts would have to swallow some of the gargantuan pride to put her in a position of power, though. Coming to the end of her shelf life as a presidential candidate. Current odds: 10/1

Javier Silva Ruete: Ex-FinMin and respected figure, but probably ruled out because he's nobody's puppet. The kind of guy that's just too honest to get to the top in PeruPolitik. Current odds 10/1.

Ollanta Humala: More chance of the hole in my tush healing up than this dude getting a job under Twobreakfasts. Current odds: 100/1.