(Bloomberg) -- President Pedro Castillo asked Congress to pass a law to nationalize the Camisea gas field and called for major reforms to the constitution in speeches at separate political rallies on Monday.     

“We urge Congress to make a law for the statization or the nationalization of Camisea gas, to give it to all Peruvians,” Castillo said from Amazonas province on a state television broadcast during a tour of cities in the north of Peru.

Meanwhile in Lima, Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez presented a tempered government plan to lawmakers in Congress seeking to obtain a vote of confidence for her cabinet from the opposition-led Congress. Castillo, seeking to balance radical moves with others more middle-of-the-road, met with backlash from supporters of his Peru Libre socialist party after he appointed Vasquez and other moderates to the cabinet.

Vasquez, speaking on Congress’ television channel, pledged a reform of the pension system, overhauling the tax system with the IMF’s guidance and the completion of a gas pipeline in the country’s south.  

“Peru shouts in the street that it’s necessary to do major constitutional reforms, and these constitutional reforms should be undertaken by the people,” Castillo said on state television from the northern city of Cajamarca. “To speak of constitutional reforms doesn’t mean causing capital flight,” he added.

Peru’s Congress delayed a vote of confidence on the cabinet until November 4 after a lawmaker from Castillo’s party died of natural causes, Peru Libre spokesperson Waldemar Cerron said in a Canal N broadcast.

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