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Peru’s Congress Ousts President Dina Boluarte, Swears In José Jerí as Interim Leader

Lawmakers cited a surging crime wave as grounds for ousting her.

Overview

  • An overwhelming congressional vote just after midnight removed Boluarte following her failure to appear when summoned shortly before the session.
  • Congress president José Jerí was sworn in as interim president and is set to serve until national elections scheduled for April 2026.
  • Legislators said the removal was driven by public security failures, pointing to official data showing 6,041 killings through mid‑August and a 28% year‑on‑year rise in extortion complaints to 15,989 through July.
  • A shooting that injured five people at a popular Lima concert hours earlier intensified pressure on Congress to act on multiple impeachment motions.
  • Under rules requiring 56 votes to open debate and 87 to remove a president, broad cross‑party support coalesced after months of protests, record‑low approval ratings, and corruption probes including the so‑called Rolexgate case.