Peruvian Congress dismisses President José Jerí

Jose Jeri, former president of Peru, at the Government Palace in Lima, on January 21. Gerardo Marin/Reuters Peru’s Congress dismissed President Jose Jeri this Tuesday (17), after just four months in office. Jeri was involved in a scandal involving undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman, continuing the turnover of leaders in the country. There were 75 parliamentarians who voted in favor of Jeri’s dismissal, while 24 voted against and three abstained. Jeri is the third consecutive president of Peru to be removed from office. Lawmakers will now elect a new president of Congress, who will also assume the Presidency of Peru. See the videos that are trending on g1 The scandal, dubbed “Chifagate” — in reference to a local name for Chinese restaurants — began in January, when Jeri was filmed arriving at a restaurant late at night, wearing a hood, to meet with Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang, who owns stores and a concession for an energy project. The meeting was not publicly disclosed. Jeri became president in October after Peru’s unpopular Congress voted unanimously to dismiss his predecessor, Dina Boluarte, after right-wing parties that supported her withdrew their support amid corruption scandals and growing dissatisfaction with rising crime. Boluarte did not have a vice president, and Jeri, who was president of Congress at the time, was next in the line of succession. This interim status was used to remove him from the presidency. Unlike impeachment, which requires a majority of 87 votes in the 130-member Legislature, Congress voted to censure Jeri, which strips him of the title of president of Congress with a simple majority. Jeri stated that she would respect the result of the vote. New vote Although the current president of Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, was constitutionally next in the line of succession, he refused to assume the Presidency. Thus, parliamentarians will have to elect a new president of Congress, who will automatically assume command of the country. Rospigliosi said that the parties have until 6pm (local time) to present their candidates and that the Legislature will vote for a new president on Wednesday (18). This would be similar to Francisco Sagasti’s ascension to the Presidency in 2020, after being chosen by Congress in the midst of a strong political crisis and protests, after then-president Manuel Merino’s five-day term in office.

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