Peruvian interior minister Luis Barranzuela resigned from his position on Tuesday, following reports that he violated COVID-19 regulations by hosting a Halloween party at his home.
The South American country has been hit hard by the pandemic, with over 200,000 people having died due to coronavirus, making it the country with the world's highest death rate per capita.
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Minister Luis Barranzuela who has been in office for just a little more than a month, faced huge criticism, after TV reports claimed that he held a Halloween party at his home in the capital Lima on Sunday, a type of gathering prohibited by a government decree just days before.
In a country of 33 million, the news prompted outrage from all sides of the political spectrum, prompting Barranzuela to claim the gathering was work-related and that he was the victim of "false accusations".
The minister later resigned amid the controversy.
"I have received and accepted the resignation of Interior Minister Luis Barranzuela. In the next few hours I will take the oath of office of whoever will succeed him," leftist president Pedro Castillo tweeted.
The Peruvian Congress, controlled by the right-wing opposition, must decide this Thursday whether to support Castillo's government headed by Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez.
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The local press had reported the government would have likely lost the vote had 58-year-old former policeman Barranzuela had remained in office.
(With inputs from agencies)