LIMA — Peru’s Congress late Friday voted unanimously to remove President Dina Boluarte from office under charges of “permanent moral incapacity,” swiftly swearing in legislative leader José Jerí as interim president to complete her term.
In a dramatic session convened just before midnight, lawmakers accepted four separate motions demanding Boluarte’s ouster, citing her failure to contain violent crime, corruption scandals, and a collapse of public confidence. Boluarte was summoned to present a defense but did not appear, clearing the way for Congress to push through the removal with 124 votes in favor and no dissenting votes.
Moments after the vote, José Jerí — 38-year-old lawyer and current president of Congress — was inaugurated as Peru’s new head of state, formally assuming the presidency under constitutional succession rules. In his first address, Jerí pledged to defend national sovereignty, restore order, and ensure a transparent transition ahead of presidential elections scheduled for April 2026.
Boluarte, Peru’s first female president, came into office in December 2022 after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was removed by Congress. But her presidency was dogged by public outrage over unchecked crime, spiking homicide rates, widespread extortion, and allegations of misgovernance and corruption — including a scandal known as “Rolexgate,” in which she was accused of failing to disclose luxury assets.
The catalyst for the final push came earlier this week when a mass shooting at a concert in Lima — during a performance by the popular cumbia group Agua Marina — startled the nation and intensified public demand for accountability. Lawmakers from across political lines, including blocs that once supported Boluarte, joined forces in backing the motion for her removal, marking a rare moment of bipartisan unity in Peru’s deeply fractured politics.
Boluarte later addressed the nation via televised remarks, defending her record and asserting that she acted always “for Peruvians,” but her address was cut short as the swearing-in of Jerí began live.
Observers caution that Jerí inherits a daunting challenge. The nation has endured years of political volatility — with six presidents since 2016 — and persistent security breakdowns that ordinary Peruvians say have eroded trust in both the executive and legislative branches.
