Pedro Cateriano

Pedro Cateriano
Prime Minister of Peru
In office 15 July 2020 – 6 August 2020
President	Martín Vizcarra
Deputy	Diana Álvarez-Calderón
Preceded by	Vicente Zeballos
Succeeded by	Walter Martos
In office 2 April 2015 – 28 July 2016
President	Ollanta Humala
Deputy	Manuel Mesones Castelo
Preceded by	Ana Jara
Succeeded by	Fernando Zavala
Minister of Defense
In office 23 July 2012 – 2 April 2015
President	Ollanta Humala
Prime Minister	Juan Jiménez Mayor César Villanueva René Cornejo Ana Jara
Preceded by	José Antonio Urquizo
Succeeded by	Jakke Valakivi
Deputy Minister of Justice
In office 28 July 2001 – 21 June 2002
President	Alejandro Toledo
Prime Minister	Roberto Dañino
Minister	Fernando Olivera
Preceded by	Juan Jiménez Mayor
Succeeded by	Alfredo Antonio Solf Montalve
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 26 July 1990 – 5 April 1992
Constituency	Lima
Personal details
Born	(1958-06-26) 26 June 1958 (age 65) Lima, Peru
Political party	People's Liberty (2022–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (until 1987, 1993-2020) All for Peru (2020-2021) Liberty Movement (1987–1993)
Alma mater	Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (LLB) Complutense University (PhD)

Pedro Álvaro Cateriano Bellido (born 26 June 1958) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Peru from July to August 2020, under Martín Vizcarra's administration. He previously served as Ollanta Humala's minister of defense from July 2012 to April 2015, and prime minister from April 2015 to July 2016.

Born in the capital city of Lima in 1958, Cateriano pursued a law degree at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, specializing in constitutional law. During his brief term in the Peruvian Congress between 1990 and 1992, Cateriano attained a prominent role as a ranking member of the congressional investigative committee on Alan García's first administration (1985-1990).^[1][2] Alongside Lourdes Flores and Fernando Olivera, the committee was ultimately disbanded following García's acquittal by the Supreme Court in March 1992. Cateriano published in the following years a detailed work on the investigation.^[3]

After a failed run for the Peruvian Congress, Cateriano worked extensively in opposition to Alberto Fujimori's presidency, ultimately being appointed to the Constitutional Reform Advisory Body of the Ministry of Justice in the presidency of Valentín Paniagua. Subsequently, he was appointed under Alejandro Toledo's presidency as Deputy Minister of Justice, serving until his resignation in June 2002, alongside minister and former colleague, Fernando Olivera.^[4]

During the presidency of Ollanta Humala, Cateriano served as Minister of Defense from July 2012 to April 2015. In his almost three-year tenure, he remained a controversial member of Humala's administration, constantly clashing with the opposition regarding the government's modus operandi, in which First Lady Nadine Heredia seemingly interfered with government decisions. He also faced criticism for his support of pecuniary sanctions on voluntary military service enrollment, which the Constitutional Court declared the measure unconstitutional. Upon the resignation of Ana Jara on 2 April 2015, due to her being censured by the Peruvian Congress regarding illegal government espionage under her management as Prime Minister of Peru, Cateriano was appointed as her successor. Seemed by pundits as a government loyalist, he served through the end of Humala's presidency.^[5]

Cateriano was sworn as Prime Minister of Peru on 15 July 2020, succeeding Vicente Zeballos as the government faces strong criticism due to Vizcarra's management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru.^[6] He would serve until 4 August 2020, less than three weeks in office, as Congress voted against his confirmation and left office on 6 August 2020.