Vice President
What was the position of Mercedes Aráoz from Jul 2016 to Sep 2017?
Mercedes Aráoz Mercedes Rosalba Aráoz Fernández ( born 5 August 1961 ) is a Peruvian economist , professor , and politician who served as Second Vice President of Peru from 2016 to 2020 . At the beginning of her political career , she served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism from 2006 to July 2009 , after which she was appointed briefly as Minister of Production , and finally as Minister of Economy and Finance , all portfolios under the second presidency of Alan García . At the 2016 general election , Aráoz ran for the Second Vice Presidency along Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Martin Vizcarra in the Peruvians for Change ticket , being ultimately elected in a tight run-off against Keiko Fujimoris Popular Force ticket . Simultaneously , she was elected to Congress for the 2016–2021 term . In the Kuczynski administration , she was appointed Prime Minister , serving from 17 September 2017 to 2 April 2018 . Kuczynski resigned on 23 March 2018 , following a corruption scandal , thus making Martín Vizcarra the new President of Peru ; Araóz subsequently acted as the only Vice President in the Vizcarra administration . On 30 September 2019 , a dispute between Vizcarra and the Congress of the Republic resulted in the dissolution of the Congress by the President , which in turn suspended Vizcarra and named Aráoz as Acting President . However , the suspension of Vizcarra was generally not recognized , forcing Aráoz to decline the claim to the presidency on 1 October 2019 . Her resignation was accepted by Congress on 7 May 2020 , leaving both Vice Presidencies vacant . Early life and education . Aráoz was born in Lima . She attended to St . Marys School in Magdalena del Mar , Lima . She studied Economics at the University of the Pacific in Lima . Later she obtained a Master in Economics and completed her PhD in Economics at the University of Miami . Aráoz is of Argentine and French descent . Aráoz completed specialization courses in Foreign Trade Policies at the John F . Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University and at the Latin American Network of Commercial Policy in Buenos Aires . She also studied Coaching at Newfield Network , Santiago de Chile . Academic career . She is Principal Professor of International Economy at the University of the Pacific and member of the Research Center . She is also professor at the Diplomatic Academy of Peru . She has worked as a consultant with a variety of international organizations including the World Bank , the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ) , the Organization of American States ( OAS ) and the CAF – Development Bank of Latin America . Aráoz served as Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank ( IADB ) in Mexico City from 2011 until 2015 . Alan García administration ( 2006–2010 ) . Foreign Trade and Tourism ( 2006–2009 ) . On 28 July 2006 , Aráoz was named as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism . During her tenure , she fostered free trade negotiations with the European Union , EFTA , China , Canada , Chile , Mexico , and Japan , among others . Production ( 2009 ) . On 11 July 2009 , Aráoz was named as Minister of Production after leaving the Foreign Trade and Tourism portfolio . Economy and Finance ( 2009–2010 ) . In December 2009 , Aráoz was named as Minister of Economy and Finance . She was the first woman in Peruvian history to hold this office . During her 9 months of managing the Ministry , priority was given to the promotion of infrastructure and public services investment projects ; likewise , the concessions of construction projects at national level were reviewed . During her term , the government maintained the growth of the Peruvian economy despite the global financial crisis . 2011 Peruvian Aprista Party presidential nomination . In November 2010 , congressman Mauricio Mulder proposed Aráoz for the partys presidential nomination for the 2011 general election . In spite of her resignation as Finance Minister , she was propelled by the government to run for the nomination . She won the majority in at the partys national convention , and accepted the nomination on 28 November 2010 . Despite criticism for selecting an independent pro-market liberal as the social democrat partys nominee , her run was viewed by analysts as an intent of propelling the party for future Alan García run in 2016 , despite low chances of victory in 2011 . As running mates , the party selected former prime minister and congressman Javier Velásquez ( 1st ) and former cabinet minister and congresswoman Nidia Vílchez ( 2nd ) . Throughout the internal process , however , Aráoz held many disagreements with high-ranking party leaders , such as former prime minister Jorge Del Castillo , who was ultimately selected as the head of the congressional list for the Lima constituency . Aráoz heavily criticized the decision of including among the congressional candidates Del Castillo , based on the corruption allegations imputed against him . This event would finally lead to her nomination withdrawal on 16 January 2011 . The party would not field any candidate for the election , and Aráoz would retire momentarily from politics . Congresswoman and Vice president . In the 2016 general election , Aráoz ran with the Peruvians for Change party as candidate both for Congress and for Second Vice President as running mate of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski . She remains an independent within the Party . The ticket was successful and Aráoz was elected Second Vice President Vice presidency . In August 2016 , Aráoz was appointed as chair of the APEC Peru 2016 High-Level Commission . The commission was made to determine necessary guidelines , strategies and measures to guarantee Perus success as host of the meeting . In August 2017 , Aráoz was named as Commissioner for Peru-OECD adherence process . Prime Minister of Peru . In September 2017 , Aráoz was sworn in as President of the Council of Ministers ( Prime Minister ) . She held the office until April 2018 .