Pedro Otarola, the prime minister of Peru, once considered one of the country's most powerful men, has resigned after a leaked audio with a woman sparked a massive scandal that has rocked the already calamitous Peruvian political landscape.

At a press conference, the prime minister told reporters that "in conversation with the president of the republic I have announced my decision to present my resignation."

The 57-year-old politician is a veteran of Peru's political scene. Aside from being the prime minister, Otarola also acted as the chief of staff to President Dina Boluarte. However, when his scandal erupted last week, it was also Boluarte who ordered him to go back home to Peru while he was in the middle of an official trip to Canada. She also asked him to resign shortly after the scandal broke.

When the scandal broke, Otarola denied that he violated Peruvian labor laws when the recording of his conversation with a woman named Yazire Pinedo, 25, was aired by a Peruvian TV program titled "Panorama," per France 24.

Otarola, a married man with five children, is said to have used his influence to have Pinedo land two lucrative government contracts this year worth a total of $14,000. She was tasked to archive and do administrative work for the government. However, the audio also outed her as his mistress.

In one of the leaked audios, he can be heard telling her, "Tell me, then, my love, so we can talk. You know these things are annoying, they are a pain, but you also know that I love you."

Peru President Helped Pressure Pedro Otarola to Resign as Prime Minister of Peru

Different sources have confirmed to various news agencies that Peru President Dina Boluarte has asked her prime minister to step down shortly after the scandal broke out.

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El Pais noted that Alberto Otarola once stated that he was taught that "a self-respecting minister should always carry a letter of resignation in their pocket in case the president withdraws their support," with his resignation coming after the president asked him to step down.

However, there is more to the scandal than just the now-resigned prime minister using his influence to grant the woman accused of being his mistress a key government contract. It was also revealed that he was using government funds to possibly harass her.

In one of the leaked audio recordings, Pinedo complained that the then-PM used state resources to follow her, saying, "He wanted to see who I went out with, who I arrived with. That's why he wanted me to work with him so much."

Resigned Prime Minister Pedro Otarola Claims There Is a Conspiracy Against Him

In his resignation speech, Otarola doubled down that he did nothing wrong, claiming, "Those who have always wanted me out of the government... have not even hesitated to edit an audio with the veiled purpose of tarnishing my image."

Meanwhile, the woman in the leaked audio recordings, Pinedo, claimed that the scandal is a plot orchestrated by the president's brother, Nicanor Boluarte, claiming that he offered her $200,000 for the audio.

Pinedo previously admitted to having a "brief relationship" with the then-PM, according to the BBC.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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