Peru’s vice president resigns

Peru’s vice-president has resigned from her post after declining the opposition’s nomination to be interim leader, saying she hoped it would pave the way for a new general election.

Mercedes Aráoz said the “constitutional order had broken” and that the country faced a “grave institutional crisis”.

President Martín Vizcarra on Monday dissolved congress, but opposition members of parliament suspended him and swore in Ms Aráoz.

On Tuesday, armed police blocked legislators from entering congress.

Some 20 members of parliament  were inside the congressional building in the capital, Lima, refusing to leave in protest against president Vizcarra’s dissolution, while streets around parliament were  lockdown.