Peru's lawmakers swore in Congress chief Jose Jeri as the country's new president less than an hour after unanimously voting to remove President Dina Boluarte, one of the world's least popular leaders, APA reports, citing Reuters.
The vote and swearing-in ceremony took place shortly after midnight on Friday, only hours after political blocs from across the spectrum first presented motions for Boluarte's removal on grounds of moral incapacity.
Jeri, who becomes Peru's seventh president since 2016, signaled he would take a tough approach on rising insecurity, one of the major criticisms that was leveled against Boluarte. He addressed Congress wearing a sash of the national flag.
"The main enemy is out there on the streets: criminal gangs," he said. "We must declare war on crime."
The 38-year-old member of the conservative Somos Peru party, who became Congress president in July, joins the ranks of some of the world's youngest heads of state.
Crowds had gathered outside Congress and the Ecuadorean embassy, where it was rumored Boluarte could seek asylum, some in a celebratory mood waving flags, dancing and playing instruments.
Shortly after Congress voted to remove her, Boluarte made an address at the presidential palace where she acknowledged that the same Congress that had sworn her in in late 2022 had now voted her removal, "with the implications this has for the stability of democracy in our country."
"At every moment, I called for unity," she said.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum had late on Thursday summoned Boluarte to defend herself before Congress that same night. She never arrived, and lawmakers had sufficient votes to proceed with a rapid impeachment process.
Boluarte, 63, was deeply disliked, with approval ratings between 2% and 4%, following accusations she has illicitly profited from her office and is responsible for lethal crackdowns on protests in favor of her predecessor.
She denies any wrongdoing.
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Peru's Congress voted on Thursday in favor of debating the impeachment of President Dina Boluarte, among the world's most unpopular leaders, in a late-night session called hours after political blocs from across the spectrum called for her removal, APA reports, citing Reuters.
Boluarte, 63, is deeply disliked, with approval ratings between 2% and 4%, following accusations she has illicitly profited from her office and is responsible for lethal crackdowns on protests in favor of her predecessor.
She denies any wrongdoing.
Should she be removed from her post, it would continue a revolving door of leaders in the Andean nation, which has had six presidents since 2018. Three ex-leaders are currently behind bars.
Earlier on Thursday, lawmakers from across the political spectrum presented four motions to remove Boluarte, the latest in a series of so far unsuccessful motions that come as the country prepares for elections next April.
Separate votes on the four motions gathered between 108 and 115 votes in favor - more than double the 52 votes that were required to move forward with the debate. At least 87 votes will ultimately be needed to impeach her.
Lawmakers then voted to summon the president to defend herself before Congress an hour later at 11.30 p.m. (0430 GMT).
The latest push to remove Boluarte is notable for the participation of conservative parties that have historically supported her. These include Rafael Lopez's Popular Renewal and Keiko Fujimori's Popular Force. Both political heavyweights are expected to stand for president in 2026.
"The only way of moving forwards is Dina Boluarte's impeachment," Congresswoman Susel Paredes said in a post on X. "Various blocs agree and that's why the motion has now been presented."
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