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Peru’s president was ousted after being censured by Congress, marking the eighth time the country’s leadership has changed in the nearly 10 years of political instability.
Peru’s Congress approved a motion to censure Jose Geri by 75 votes to 24, just four months after he became interim president and two months before expected general elections.
The vote followed accusations that Mr. Jeri held private meetings with Chinese businessmen while wearing a hood, which led to an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office on suspicion of illegal sponsorship and influence.
“The presidents have declared the office of President of the Parliament of the Republic vacant, and as a result, the office of President of the Republic is also vacant,” said Fernando Rospigliosi, acting President of the Parliament.
Various political blocs will now meet to agree on a list of parliamentary presidential candidates ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary vote to decide the next interim president.
Mr. Geri, 39, became president in October after becoming speaker of parliament when President Dina Bolarte was impeached. Bolarte had been leading the executive branch for a year and a half since the impeachment and arrest of Pedro Castillo in 2022.
“Chifagate” scandal
Mr. Jeri is accused of misconduct after holding a secret meeting with Yang Zhihua, a Chinese businessman who holds a state-granted interest in one of his companies.
Mr Jeri denied any wrongdoing and said the meeting was “circumstantial”. He also denied that the businessman asked him for any favors or assistance.
The first meeting, held at a Chinese restaurant in Lima on December 26, sparked controversy after footage showed the president entering the restaurant with his hood up. Mr. Jeri met Mr. Yang again on January 6 at a Chinese products store, where Mr. Yang arrived wearing sunglasses. None of these meetings are recorded in presidential records.
Last month, the 39-year-old interim president acknowledged that the talks had taken place and apologized for the manner in which they were conducted.
“I admit my mistake and publicly apologize for having taken the hood and acting in this way, and for the way it has caused doubts and doubts about my actions and the creation of all sorts of unrealistic narratives that are completely unfounded,” he said.
The “Chifagate” scandal, named after a term for a Peruvian dish with Chinese roots, led the attorney general’s office to launch an investigation into Geri and a Chinese businessman.
CNN has reached out to Yang and the presidential administration for comment.
The scandal has heightened tensions over one of Peru’s biggest challenges: how to balance relations with China, one of its biggest trading partners, and the United States, which has warned Lima of China’s growing influence.
The US Western Hemisphere Bureau last week said it was “concerned” by reports that Peru may be powerless to oversee the port of Chancay, one of the country’s largest ports, saying it is controlled by “predatory” Chinese owners.
“We support Peru’s sovereign right to oversee critical infrastructure within its territory. Let this be a warning to the region and the world: Cheap Chinese money comes at the cost of sovereignty,” the agency said.
Mr. Geri is just the latest in a long line of the country’s presidents and former presidents to be embroiled in scandals that some commentators have dubbed the “curse” of Peru’s presidency.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, at least seven presidents have gone on trial or faced legal challenges related to allegations of corruption or human rights abuses. The eighth person was shot dead by police as they approached.
Peru’s notorious political instability often dates back to the era of President Alberto Fujimori. President Fujimori was ousted in 2000 over a scandal involving his intelligence chief and was found guilty of corruption, embezzlement and human rights abuses.
Since then, the political careers of most of Fujimori’s successors have also come to an ignominious end.
Fujimori’s successor, Alejandro Toledo, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Then came Alan Garcia, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2019 when police swooped in, also as part of an investigation related to Odebrecht.
Ollanta Humala and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski were also embroiled in the Odebrecht scandal, while Martín Vizcarra was expelled for “moral incompetence” for accepting bribes during his time as governor. Pedro Castillo was detained on charges of sedition and removed by Congress in an attempt to dissolve parliament and form an emergency government, while Bolarte was impeached for “persistent moral incompetence” following a series of scandals.
All those accused and convicted rejected the charges.
Peruvians are scheduled to head to the polls on April 12 for the general election.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
