Peru's interim president José Jéri, the seventh head of state in ten years, was dismissed by parliament on Tuesday. The right-wing politician is the target of two investigations for alleged influence peddling. The presidential election is scheduled for April 12.

Published on: 02/17/2026 - 04:05 Modified on: 02/18/2026 - 08:06

The Parliament of Peru voted on Tuesday February 17 to dismiss interim President José Jeri, the target of two investigations for alleged influence peddling, in the run-up to the April 12 presidential election.

“The office of the Parliament declares the vacancy of the Presidency of the Republic,” announced the interim president of the unicameral Parliament, Fernando Rospigliosi. Seventh head of state in ten years, José Jeri was dismissed by 75 votes for, 24 against and three abstentions.

The assembly will elect a new president of Parliament on Wednesday, who will automatically assume Peru's interim presidency until July 28, when the head of state to be elected in April takes office, announced Fernando Rospigliosi.

José Jeri, 39, presided over Parliament until October, when he succeeded Dina Boluarte, who was dismissed following a procedure triggered by allegations of her failure to respond to an unprecedented wave of violence linked to organized crime.

“I have not committed any crime”

The right-wing interim president was the target of several impeachment requests brought by the left-wing minority and a bloc of right-wing parties in Parliament, who seek to dismiss him for "functional misconduct" and "lack of aptitude" to exercise his functions, in the wake of two preliminary investigations opened in January by the prosecution.

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One concerns his alleged intervention in the recruitment of nine women within his government, the other concerns the alleged offenses of "influence peddling" and "illegal sponsorship of interests", after a secret meeting with a Chinese businessman having commercial relations with the state.

“I have not committed any crime. I have all the moral legitimacy necessary to exercise the presidency of the Republic,” José Jeri defended himself on Sunday during a television interview. “This president is of no use, he has done nothing, (...) the figures for sponsored murders and homicides remain high and have not fallen,” said left-wing parliamentarian Susel Paredes.

Rapid rise in violence

Long considered relatively safe in Latin America, Peru is now facing a rapid rise in violence. In two years, the number of complaints for extortion has increased more than tenfold, from 2,396 to more than 25,000 in 2025.

This vote also comes within the framework of a series of institutional crises since 2016, illustrating the lasting balance of power between a powerful Parliament and a weakened executive, in a context of absence of political consensus.

“A new change in the presidency, the fourth during the current political cycle, will in no way resolve the deep institutional crisis the country is going through,” analyst Augusto Alvarez told AFP. According to him, "it will be difficult to find within the current Parliament, marked by accusations of mediocrity and persistent suspicions of corruption, a replacement with real political legitimacy."

The speed of the impeachment procedure is also associated by some observers with the electoral context, marked by a record number of more than 30 candidates. “The parties that are speeding up the procedure think that this could help them obtain more votes in the April 12 ballot,” judge Augusto Alvarez.

After a start to his mandate marked by popularity close to 60% thanks to initiatives against organized crime, José Jeri's approval rate fell to 37% in February.

With AFP

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