Political Crisis in Peru: Parliament Impeaches President Jose Jeri Following Corruption Scandal

On Tuesday, Peru's Congress made the dramatic decision to remove interim President Jose Jeri from office. The vote of no confidence ended with a clear majority in favor of dismissal, immediately terminating the mandate of the 39-year-old politician. The main cause of the fall of Jeri's government, who assumed the role in October of last year following the removal of Dina Boluarte, were recordings documenting his secret meetings with Chinese entrepreneur Zhihua Yang. This businessman was under the scrutiny of state investigative bodies, and the president visited him in restaurants outside official protocol. Although Jeri apologized for the lack of transparency, he could not avoid the political consequences. Peru has been grappling with chronic political instability since 2016, when a series of abrupt changes at the highest level of power began, often ending in criminal proceedings for former leaders.The situation is complicated by the fact that Fernando Rospigliosi, serving as the president of parliament, refused to temporarily take the reins of the state. Parliament must therefore elect a new president, who, according to the constitution, will lead the country until the general elections scheduled for April 12, 2026. In addition to allegations of unclear ties with Chinese capital, Jeri faced accusations of paid patronage and hiring unqualified associates. „These accusations are baseless, and my actions have always aimed at the good of the nation during this difficult transitional period.” — Jose Jeri The country now faces the specter of another decision-making paralysis in the crucial pre-election period. Investors are watching the developments in this Andean nation, one of the world's largest copper producers, with concern. The fall of Jeri, considered one of the youngest leaders in the world, is a painful reminder of the weakness of Peru's party system and the dominant role of the unicameral Congress in shaping the executive. This situation fits into a broader trend in Latin America, where tensions between legislative and executive powers often lead to premature government changes. In favor of impeachment: 75, Against: 24, Abstained: 3 7 — presidents have ruled Peru in the last decade Liberal media emphasize the erosion of democratic standards and the chaos resulting from constant rotations in the head of state position. | Conservative media focus on the necessity of fighting corruption and Chinese influence in the state administration.