Chilean president reshuffles cabinet over pension reform

SANTIAGO - Chilean President Sebastian Pinera reshuffled his cabinet Tuesday, replacing interior, foreign, defense and several other ministers following the defeat of a pension reform bill.

Victor Perez was appointed interior minister, replacing Gonzalo Blumel, while Andres Allamand was appointed foreign minister and Mario Desbordes took over the post of defense minister.

The reshuffle came after the congress passed a controversial pension reform bill last week, allowing Chileans to withdraw 10 percent of their pensions to help overcome the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government had opposed the bill.

Pinera had replaced the head of the Health Ministry last month, appointing Oscar Enrique Paris as health minister.

Chile on Tuesday reported 349,800 cases of novel coronavirus infection, 9,240 deaths from the disease and 322,332 recoveries, saying 18,228 cases are considered active.

Due to a decline in cases, the Health Ministry Friday announced a partial lifting of lockdown measures in seven of 40 districts within the capital Santiago and its metropolitan area, home to a third of the country's population.