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On New Year’s eve, Chavarry dismissed two popular prosecutors who led the Odebrecht corruption probe, accusing Jose Domingo Perez and Rafael Vela of blocking his request for information on the case. He also said Perez made public statements that put his objectivity in doubt.

But the dismissal sparked street protests in several cities in which demonstrators accused Chavarry of trying to protect corrupt officials and called for his resignation.

Vizcarra said the removal of the prosecutors would derail the investigation and immediately pushed for an overhaul of the Attorney General’s Office, calling on congress to declare that office in a state of emergency.

Faced with those threats, Chavarry reinstated the prosecutors.

But as investigators turned their attention towards the attorney general and raided the offices of one of his closest aides, Chavarry decided that he could no longer keep his job.

“If I am the pretext for these illegal actions to be taken against the institution I represent, then it is best for me to step aside,” Chavarry wrote in his resignation letter.

A congressional committee will now investigate whether Chavarry committed a series of crimes that include influence peddling, aiding criminal organizations and hindering corruption investigations.

The Odebrecht investigation will continue under the guidance of a temporarily appointed attorney general.

The far-reaching investigation includes 40 individual cases, more than 300 people and dozens of companies linked to Odebrecht projects in Peru.

The most important cases involve Keiko Fujimori — leader of Peru’s most powerful opposition party — and former President Alan Garcia, who is prohibited from leaving Peru for 18 months while he is investigated.

Odebrecht has admitted in U.S. court filings that it paid $800 million in bribes to officials across Latin America, including $29 million in Peru.