Eliane Karp, Peru’s first lady, has submitted her resignation from her unpaid leadership position in the National Commission of Andean, Amazonian, and Afro-Peruvian Communities. Karp, a native of Belgium, argues that she has resigned to allow an indigenous Peruvian to lead the commission. However, speculations suggest that her resignation has more to do with an alleged conflict of interest stemming from a $6,000 a month contract she received from a financial group to write a book on indigenous politics. Critics charge her with using her government position for personal economic benefit, thereby neglecting her duties and devaluing the position.
