He Congress of Peru approved this Tuesday a motion of censure against the interim president of the country, José Jerí, who will leave office immediately after losing the vote that endorsed his dismissal with 75 votes in favor, 24 against and three abstentions.
Jerí faced this Tuesday seven motions of censure against him after being subjected to two investigations for influence peddling. The Peruvian Justice has focused on the hiring of several people close to the president, while their clandestine meetings with Chinese businessmen.
The parliamentary initiative has gone ahead with the support of a dozen political forces, all in the context of a fragmented Peruvian Congress and despite the fact that the majority force Keiko Fujimori’s Fuerza Popular has supported until the end and Jerí.
Who overthrew the interim president?
Five deputies from Somos Perú – Jerí’s formation – have stood against the motion, as well as two representatives from Acción Popular and one from Honor and Democracy. All of these formations on the right-wing spectrum have been divided in the vote to remove the president from office.
Peruvian media have reported that the president of Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, has ordered a new plenary session for this Wednesday in which the institution will elect Jerí’s successor as head of the Peruvian Executive.
And now what will happen?
The parties have this Tuesday to present their proposal for candidates to be the next president of the Republic. For now, four candidates have been presented, among them that of María del Carmen Alva, from Acción Popular; Héctor Acuña, from Honor and Democracy; Edgar Reymundo, from the Popular Democratic Bloc and José Balcázar, from Perú Libre).
Jeri took office last October after it prospered another motion to remove Dina Boluartea leader marked by the insecurity crisis and the violent repression of the protests against her.
The president, previously president of Congress during the Boluarte era, became the eighth Peruvian president in just a decade and now leaves office just four months after occupying the House of Pizarro. His salida se produce a few months before the general electionsscheduled for April 12.
