Peruvian Congress ousts President Boluarte, marking seventh leader since 2016

BOGOTA, Colombia

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte was impeached by Congress in the early hours of Friday, capping a turbulent three years in office marked by civil unrest and an unprecedented surge in organized crime.

In a decisive vote, 122 lawmakers – far exceeding the 87 votes required – declared the president unfit for office due to "permanent moral incapacity." Boluarte, who did not appear before the chamber, was immediately succeeded by the president of Congress, Jose Jeri, a 38-year-old lawyer sworn in to serve until general elections are held in April 2026.

Boluarte's legal team protested the move, arguing that Congress violated due process by denying their client sufficient time for defense.

"Due process is a right, not an illusion ... We will not uphold it!" her lawyer, Juan Carlos Portugal, said on US social media company X, condemning the impeachment as a "violation of any procedure."

In his first statement as the nation’s seventh president since 2016, Jeri directly addressed the issue that brought down his predecessor.

"The main enemy is outside, in the streets, the criminal gangs, the criminal organizations. They are our enemies today, and as enemies, we must declare war on them," he said.

Boluarte's departure marks the third time the Peruvian Congress has removed a sitting president since 2016, underscoring the severe and ongoing political instability in the Andean nation.

In a final, short message to the nation where she accepted her dismissal, the broadcast was abruptly cut short by all television channels, including the state-run TV Peru.

Since 2016, the Andean country has had six presidents: three removed by Congress, including Boluarte, two who resigned before being removed, one who completed his interim term, and now Jeri.

The crisis began with the 2018 resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who cited a "climate of ungovernability" following his controversial pardon of former dictator Alberto Fujimori. Two years later, Martin Vizcarra was removed by Congress for "permanent moral incapacity" over corruption allegations, triggering the five-day presidency of Manuel Merino, who resigned amid mass protests that left two dead.

Francisco Sagasti then served an eight-month interim term until 2021 to stabilize the nation for elections. The instability continued as Pedro Castillo was removed in 2022 following a failed coup attempt, and finally Boluarte was impeached amid an unprecedented wave of violence and organized crime.