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Just four months into his term, Peruvian President Jose Gerri was impeached and removed from office.
The decision was the result of a Tuesday vote in Peru’s parliament that discussed multiple corruption allegations against the Gerry government.
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Mr. Jeri is a right-wing leader and previously served as speaker of parliament. But he took over as president in October after his predecessor, Dina Bolarte, was impeached for “moral incompetence.”
Bolarte was replaced in December 2022 after the last democratically elected president, Pedro Castillo, was also impeached.
Geri became the seventh president to lead Peru in the last 10 years. Many of his predecessors have been embroiled in scandals, forcing them to resign or face impeachment.
In Geri’s case, the scandal primarily concerned allegations that the right-wing leader was involved in influence-selling. One of the most notable dishes was unofficially dubbed “Chifagate,” after the Peruvian-Chinese fusion dish known as “Chifa.”
“Chifagate” emerged after Peruvian media published a video of Geri attending a late-night meeting with Chinese businessman Yang Zhihua at a restaurant in Lima. The meeting was not included in the president’s official agenda, as required by Peruvian law.
Mr Jeri appeared to be disguised in the video, wearing informal clothing, including a deep hoodie that partially obscured his face, spurring further questions about the nature of the talks.
A subsequent image showed Jeri visiting another of Jan’s businesses, a wholesale store, this time wearing sunglasses.
Geri has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the meeting as a gathering to discuss Peru-China Friendship Day or just a shopping trip for sweets and food.
Mr. Yang has ties to the Peruvian government. Under the Bolarte administration, the government won the concession to build a hydroelectric power plant, but construction was delayed and transparency was questioned.
The meeting between Yang and Jeri reportedly also included a third Chinese businessman, Jiu Xiaodong, who was placed under house arrest for his involvement in illegal activities.
Mr. Jeri also faced questions during Tuesday’s parliamentary debate about late-night meetings and other irregular interactions with women who later secured government contracts. Jeri also faces sexual assault charges dating back to December 2024.
He faced a total of seven censure motions against his presidency. In the end, 75 members of Peru’s Congress supported Geri’s removal, but three abstained and a further 24 voted against it.
The new interim president is expected to be voted on Wednesday evening around 6pm local time (6pm Japan time).
Geri’s dismissal marks a new chapter in the turmoil facing Peru’s government. There are less than two months left until the country’s April 12 general election, which will decide the next president.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in that election, the race will proceed to a runoff in June.
The field is currently overcrowded, with at least 36 candidates vying for president. Election observers fear that whoever wins could face the same rapid-fire impeachment process that his predecessor endured.
Peru’s president often faces accusations of “moral incompetence,” but the path to impeachment has been accused by critics of being too vague.
Mr. Yeri’s impeachment comes within months of several high-profile court decisions against the former president.
In November, former President Martín Vizcarra, who served as president from 2018 to 2020, was found guilty of accepting bribes for government contracts and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
And in December, Castillo was found guilty of treason and conspiracy and sentenced to 11 years and five months.
Castillo, a left-wing leader, is facing a third impeachment attempt in December 2022, in which he attempted what many are calling a self-coup. Within hours, his cabinet resigned and Congress impeached him.
Peruvian prosecutors said they would continue investigating corruption charges against Geri.
