Officials at the Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that Garcia Sayan offered his resignation Monday night.

Cabinet ministers traditionally offer their resignations before the July 28 independence holiday and at year end, an act usually viewed as a formality.

But with President Alejandro Toledo and most of the Cabinet with less than 20 percent approval ratings in recent polls, opposition parties have clamored for all 15 ministers to be replaced.

Political analysts have speculated that Prime Minister Roberto Danino, who came to the job from a law practice in Washington, D.C., and Finance Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski might also step down.

Although Kuczynski's presence in the Cabinet soothes Wall Street nerves, his program of selling off state companies is unpopular in Peru's provinces.

Rioting in June against the auction of state energy companies in southern Peru killed two before the government backed down on the sale.

Toledo's popularity has eroded steadily since he took office a year ago, hailed as Peru's first democratically elected president of Indian descent.

Polls show public dissatisfaction with Toledo's indecisiveness, his inability to produce jobs and an unshakable paternity suit.

Analysts have speculated that Peru's ambassador to the United States, Allan Wagner, may be in line to replace Garcia Sayan.