Peru central bank sees economy growing 3% in third quarter

LIMA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Peru's economy will likely grow 3% in the third quarter of this year, central bank chief economist Adrian Armas said in a call on Friday.

"This quarter we think it will be in the order of 3%," Armas told journalists in a call, adding that gross domestic product (GDP) likely expanded 3% in July but is expected somewhat below that level for the month of August.

Peru's statistics office is set to publish the July data on Monday.

Asked on the estimated impacts of next year's general election, Armas said while there may be an electoral risk, this did not necessarily mean the economy would lose its dynamism.

President Dina Boluarte, who holds one of the world's lowest approval ratings at around 2%, is set to end her term next July.

Her 2022 succession of Pedro Castillo after he was arrested for trying to dissolve Congress was followed by months of deadly protests that hit foreign investment and blocked roads used by major copper miners, a key industry in the Andean nation.

Armas spoke a day after the bank cut its benchmark interest rate to 4.25%, a level it said it considered "close to neutral," as inflation remains within the bank's target range.