LIMA — Peru’s Congress has ousted interim President José Jerí just four months into his tenure, plunging the Andean nation further into political uncertainty. Jerí was removed from office following a vote of 75 to 24, triggered by a scandal involving undisclosed meetings with business interests that lawmakers argued compromised his ability to lead.
Jerí is the third consecutive president to be ousted and the seventh definitive leader Peru has seen since 2016, highlighting a tumultuous decade for the country’s executive branch.
“Chifa-gate” Scandal
The controversy, dubbed “Chifa-gate” by local media—a reference to Peruvian-Chinese fusion food—centered on allegations of influence peddling. The scandal erupted last month after security camera footage surfaced showing Jerí attending meetings outside his official schedule with Zhihua Yang, a businessman under government scrutiny who had been granted a state concession for an energy project.
The leaked footage reportedly showed the President visiting one of Yang’s restaurants late at night, at times wearing a hooded top to obscure his identity. Complicating matters further, reports indicated that another attendee at one of these meetings was a Chinese citizen currently under house arrest regarding alleged links to an illegal timber network.
Under Peruvian law, public officials are required to document all official activities; Jerí failed to record these encounters. The President faced additional scrutiny following revelations that state contracts were awarded to several women shortly after they attended late-night meetings with him at the presidential palace.
Defense and Opposition
Prior to the vote, Jerí offered an apology for the meetings but vehemently denied any criminal wrongdoing, characterizing the allegations as a smear campaign orchestrated by political rivals. However, public pressure mounted as the Attorney General opened a corruption investigation and his approval ratings plummeted.
Ruth Luque, a lawmaker who backed the censure measure, argued that the removal was necessary to restore public trust.
“We ask to end this agony so we can truly create the transition citizens are hoping for,” Luque told reporters, according to Reuters. “Not a transition with hidden interests, influence-peddling, secret meetings, and hooded figures. We don’t want that sort of transition.”
A Cycle of Instability
Jerí’s removal marks another chapter of instability for Peru. He assumed the presidency only last October following the impeachment of former leader Dina Boluarte, whose tenure was plagued by scandals and a surge in gang violence.
Jerí’s short administration was also marked by unrest. Less than a week after he took office, protests led by youth groups demanding action against crime and corruption resulted in one death and over 100 injuries.
Congress is scheduled to vote on Wednesday to select a new interim president. The appointee will be tasked with guiding the country toward the general elections scheduled for April.
