PL EN DE FR ES IT PT RU JA ZH NL UK TR KO CS SV AR VI FA ID HU RO NO FI

Censure of José Jerí

Censure of José Jerí
Knownlyx encyclopedia image
Jerí in 2025
AccusedJosé Jerí, president of Peru
ProponentsCongress of Peru
Date17 February 2026
OutcomeCensure successful
ChargesClandestine meetings with Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang

On 17 February 2026, the Peruvian Congress approved the censure of José Jerí from the position of president of Peru under a vote of no confidence. Unlike impeachment, which requires a supermajority of 87 in the 130-member legislature, Congress voted to censure Jerí, stripping him of his title as President of Congress with a simple majority of 66 votes. His interim status was then used to remove him from the presidency.[1][2] Jerí became the sixth president removed by Congress, and the fourth of the 2020s, after Guillermo Billinghurst (1914), Alberto Fujimori (2000), Martín Vizcarra (2020), Pedro Castillo (2022), and Dina Boluarte (2025).[3][4]

Several opposition parties put forward seven motions against Jerí during the extraordinary plenary session. Jerí has been accused of misconduct after holding private, unofficial meetings with Zhihua Yang, a Chinese businessman who holds a state-granted concession for one of his companies.[5] The only parties who voted against the impeachment proceedings were We Are Peru, led by Jerí, and Popular Force, led by Keiko Fujimori. Jerí's impeachment was structured as a vote of no confidence rather than the traditional "permanent moral incapacity" under Article 113 of the Constitution of Peru.[6]

Fernando Rospigliosi, acting president of Congress, declared after the vote that the office of President of the Congress of the Republic is vacant, and consequently, the office of President of the Republic is vacant. Jerí accepted the outcome.[7] Following Jerí's removal, Rospigliosi, who would have been next in line for the presidency, declined to assume the office. Subsequently, Congressman José María Balcázar was elected president by the Congress on 18 February.[8]

Background

See also: Peruvian political crisis (2016–present)

Impeachment of Dina Boluarte

Main article: Impeachment of Dina Boluarte
Knownlyx encyclopedia image
President José Jerí and his cabinet shortly after assuming the presidency

After the unanimous impeachment and removal of President Dina Boluarte on 10 October 2025, Jerí acceded to the presidency in his capacity as president of the legislature and the next in the presidential line of succession established in the Peruvian Constitution, as Boluarte had no vice presidents.[9][10] He became the eighth individual to serve as President since the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2018, a span of just over seven years.[11]

2025 Peruvian protests

Main article: 2025 Peruvian protests

The ongoing protests in Peru intensified after Jerí assumed the presidency.[12] In Lima, thousands participated in demonstrations[13] and protesters chanted "The rapist is Jerí" and "Jerí is a violin", with "violin" being Peruvian slang for a rapist, due to allegations of sexual assault committed by Jerí.[14][15] The clashes resulted in one protester being killed and over 80 injured after police fired pellets at demonstrators.[16]

In late October 2025, Jerí refused to resign, stating "My responsibility is to maintain the stability of the country."[17] Peruvian prime minister Ernesto Álvarez Miranda, an ultraconservative judge popular on social media who described the protesters as being subversives days earlier on 10 October, announced that the government would declare a state of emergency.[18][19]

Chifagate

Jerí held clandestine meetings with Chinese businessmen, especially with Zhihua Yang, in places such as a chifa restaurant on 26 December 2025 and the "Market Capón" in the Barrio Chino on 6 January 2026, Jerí justified it as a simple candy purchase.[20] The first meeting, held at a Chinese restaurant in Lima on December 26, sparked controversy after images showed the president entering the establishment wearing a hood. Neither of these meetings was registered in presidential records.[5] Jerí also visited another Chinese businessman, Jiwu Xiaodong, who was under house arrest for illegal activities.[21]

In February 2026, the Attorney General's Office had raised questions about Yang's potential interference in government decisions and contracts. They also alleged that Jerí had lied before Congress and in media interviews about his dealings with Yang.[22] Jerí acknowledged the meetings took place and apologized for how they had been conducted.[5]

The scandal had fueled tensions over one of Peru's biggest challenges on how to balance relations between China, one of its largest trade partners, and the US, which is against China's influence. The US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said it was "concerned" about reports that Peru could be powerless to oversee one of its largest ports, Chancay, which it said was managed by "predatory" Chinese owners.[5]

Allegations of irregular hiring

Jerí faced a second investigation involving allegations of irregular hiring of several women[a] during his tenure. These female hires were described as young and inexperienced.[24] Other hirings of female employees took place during the night or on holidays, which raised further concerns about his administration's transparency.[25]

Censure

Knownlyx encyclopedia image
Popular Force leader Keiko Fujimori defended Jerí, and her party voted against the seven motions against him.

The first motion of censure was presented by Ruth Luque from Democratic Change and was admitted at 10 am with 71 votes in favor, 18 against, and 4 abstentions,[26] the fifth motion was presented by Esdras Medina from Popular Renewal with 78 votes in favor and 23 votes against.[27] The opposition parties to congress filed a total of seven motions.[6] There was a brief debate period during the extraordinary plenary session.[28] Congresswoman Ana Zegarra of We Are Peru attempted to delay the proceedings, but her efforts were rejected by the Congress after a point of order was approved.[29]

During the impeachment proceedings, commentators noted a rift between the right-wing parties Popular Renewal and Popular Force.[30] Popular Renewal leader Rafael López Aliaga attempted to create a coalition of Popular Force and Jerí supporters, however this did not materialize.[31] Popular Force leader Keiko Fujimori criticized Popular Force and those who supported the censure for being "politically immature" and accused them of generating political instability.[32]

The Peruvian congress censured Jerí after a motion of censure with 75 votes in favor and 24 votes against.[33][34] Only his own party and the Fujimorist Popular Force voted against his censure.[6] President of Congress Fernando Rospigliosi made the formal announcement that Jerí had been removed from power.[6] Ruth Luque, one of the lawmakers who backed the censure measures, said she wanted to replace Jeri with a leader who would put public interest and security first, ahead of a new president coming into office.[35] The final motion was passed at 2:30 PM and Jerí was formally removed from the presidency.[36]

Constitutional mechanism

The structure of this censure differed from the traditional "permanent moral incapacity" under Article 113 of the Constitution of Peru. Instead, this impeachment was structured as a vote of no confidence in his capacity as president of Congress, and only required a simple majority of 66 votes or fewer, provided fewer deputies are present.[6][2] Originally during the censure, Free Peru aimed to impeach Jerí under Article 113, but later accepted a censure vote instead due to it being more tangible in votes.[37]

Voting results

The results were:[38]

President Date Vote First motion Second motion Third motion Fourth motion Fifth motion Sixth motion Seventh motion
José Jerí
We Are Peru 		17 February 2026
Knownlyx encyclopedia image
Motion approved
Office vacated 		Green tickY Yes 71 69 73 76 78 74 72
Red XN No 18 26 25 19 23 21 23
Abstain 4 0 0 0 0 1 0

Aftermath

Knownlyx encyclopedia image
On 18 February, Congressman José María Balcázar was elected as Jerí's successor.

Acting President of Congress Fernando Rospigliosi, who would have been next in line for the presidency, declined to assume the office, necessitating a vote by Congress to appoint a new president.[6][3] Several news organizations noted the political instability in the country due to the rapid removal procedures targeting Jerí and some of his predecessors.[4][3] The Washington Post noted that his removal triggered a "fresh wave of political instability" just weeks before the 2026 general election.[39]

On 18 February, four candidates were nominated for consideration as Jerí's successor: Congressman Edgard Reymundo of Together for Peru, Congressman José María Balcázar of Free Peru, Congresswoman Maricarmen Alva of Popular Action and Congressman Héctor Acuña of Honor and Democracy.[40] After several hours of voting, the two finalists were Maricarmen Alva and José María Balcázar.[41] Balcázar received 46 votes, Alva received 43, Acuña received 13 and Reymundo received 7.[42] Following the elimination of Reymundo and Acuña, congressional members of the Together for Peru and Honor and Democracy parties declined to participate in the run-off voting.[42]

Prior to final voting, Alva was considered to be the front runner to be elected.[42] However, on the final ballot, Balcázar was elected president by a narrow margin of 60 to 54 votes.[42][8] He was sworn in as president of the Congress and as interim president shortly afterwards.[42]

Notes

  1. ^ Which include: Alexandra Camargo Leiva, Fiorella Jannette Melgarejo Sánchez, Susana Carolina Gutiérrez Rivera, Hilda Denisse Zapata Juárez, Etiëne Tanja Henriquez Cortez, Rossmary Malpartida Osto, Angélica Aznarán Ríos y Rosa Gabriela Rueda Yaya.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Peru Congress ousts president because of China-linked secret meetings". NBC News. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Peru Congress ousts President Jeri because of China-linked secret meetings". Reuters. This interim status was used to remove him from the presidency on Tuesday. Unlike impeachment, which requires a supermajority of 87 in the 130-member legislature, Congress voted to censure Jeri, which strips him of his title as head of Congress with a simple majority. Jeri has said he would respect the outcome of the vote.
  3. ^ a b c "Peru Ousts President, Again". The New York Times. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Peru's congress votes to oust President Jeri". Reuters. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d "Peru's leader José Jerí ousted over 'Chifa-gate' scandal, as presidential 'curse' strikes again". CNN. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "El Congreso de Perú destituye al presidente José Jerí tras sólo cuatro meses en el cargo por incumplir sus funciones" (in Spanish). El Español. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Peru's leader José Jerí ousted over 'Chifa-gate' scandal, as presidential 'curse' strikes again". CNN. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026. "The presiding officers declare the office of President of the Congress of the Republic vacant, and consequently, the office of President of the Republic is vacant," said Fernando Rospigliosi, acting head of Congress.
  8. ^ a b "Peru appoints Jose Maria Balcazar as president after Jose Jeri's removal". Al Jazeera. 18 February 2026. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  9. ^ Calderón, Martín (10 October 2025). "José Jerí juró como presidente de la República tras vacancia de Dina Boluarte". El Commerce (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  10. ^ Espinoza, Analí (10 October 2025). "Dina Boluarte is vacated due to "permanent moral incapacity" by the Congress of Peru". infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  11. ^ Mandujano, Edgar (10 October 2025). "Dina Boluarte, vacada: 8 presidentes en 9 años – Caretas Política". Caretas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  12. ^ Mendivelso, Sergio Andrés Gamboa (15 October 2025). "Reportan heridos por enfrentamientos en medio de manifestaciones en contra del Congreso y Presidencia interina de José Jerí en Lima, Perú". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  13. ^ Palomino, Eva (16 October 2025). "Ministro del Interior miente al decir que no hubo ternas: videos muestran a policías de civil deteniendo manifestantes". La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  14. ^ Muñoz, Mauricio (15 October 2025). "José Jerí: jóvenes de la generación Z, artistas y más ciudadanos salieron a protestar contra el Gobierno y el Congreso". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 December 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  15. ^ "José Enrique Jerí, acusado de violación, asume la presidencia de Perú". Los Ángeles Press (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  16. ^ Berríos, Manuel Rojas (16 October 2025). "Marcha Nacional: un manifestante muerto y más de 80 heridos durante masiva marcha en el Centro de Lima". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  17. ^ Muñoz, Mauricio (16 October 2025). "Luis Magallanes es el policía que asesinó a Eduardo Ruiz en la marcha del 15 de octubre". La República (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Peru to declare state of emergency after protests against new president leave one dead and dozens injured". The Guardian. 17 October 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  19. ^ Palomino, Eva (15 October 2025). "Primer ministro de Jerí criminalizaba marcha de Generación Z: "No es protesta, es un intento subversivo"". La República (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  20. ^ "'Chifagate': el escándalo con empresarios chinos que sacude la presidencia de José Jerí a tres meses de las elecciones en Perú". infobae (in European Spanish). 21 January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Peru to debate removal of President Jose Jeri four months into his term". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  22. ^ "¿Quién es José Jerí, el presidente de Perú destituido por el Congreso tras solo cuatro meses en el cargo?" (in Spanish). CNN. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  23. ^ Martinez, Pedro Luis Ramos (15 February 2026). "José Jerí viajó junto con las jóvenes que lo visitaron en Palacio y fueron contratadas días después en el Estado, según Punto Final". rpp.pe (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Congreso de Perú destituye a presidente interino José Jerí tras cuatro meses en el cargo" (in Spanish). Bloomberg. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  25. ^ "Destituyen al Presidente José Jerí en Perú tras 4 meses". The Times. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Congreso censuró a José Jerí con 75 votos". Correo (in Spanish). 17 February 2026. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  27. ^ Muñoz, Mauricio (17 February 2026). "José Jerí: Congreso admite a debate las siete mociones de censura en contra del presidente". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  28. ^ "Congreso censura a José Jerí tras pleno extraordinario" (in Spanish). Caretas. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Cuestión de orden: Ana Zegarra plantea vacancia y frena debate de censura contra José Jerí" (in Spanish). Correo Redacción. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Renovación Popular y Fuerza Popular elevan ataques con acusaciones cruzadas por posturas sobre moción para censurar a José Jerí" (in Spanish). RedacciónRPP. 16 February 2026. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  31. ^ "Renovación Popular responde a Keiko Fujimori por respaldar permanencia de Jerí: "Han creado el Fuji-Jerismo" – Exitosa Noticias" (in Spanish). Exitosanoticias.pe. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  32. ^ "Keiko Fujimori descarta que Fuerza Popular asuma la Presidencia" (in Spanish). Perú 21. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  33. ^ "Peru's President José Jerí ousted, marking eighth change in leader in less than a decade". CNN. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  34. ^ "Censura a José Jerí: reacciones de los políticos ante la caída del presidente interino y la llegada del nuevo mandatario". infobae (in European Spanish). 17 February 2026. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  35. ^ "Peru Congress ousts President Jeri because of China-linked secret meetings". Reuters.
  36. ^ "Congreso aprueba censura contra José Jerí" (in Spanish). Andina. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  37. ^ "Perú Libre apoyará cualquier escenario que acabe en la salida de José Jerí, anuncia Flavio Cruz" (in Spanish). Por Diego Casimiro OreSeguir. 17 February 2026. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  38. ^ Tutiven, Christian Torres (17 February 2026). "Congreso: Estos fueron los resultados de las siete censuras a Jerí". América TV (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  39. ^ "Peru's Congress removes interim President Jeri as he faces a corruption probe". The Washington Post. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  40. ^ "Parlamento elige hoy nuevo presidente de Perú entre cuatro candidatos". Presanta. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  41. ^ "Peru installs Jose Balcazar as interim president after Jeri ousted in political upheaval". Reuters. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  42. ^ a b c d e "EN VIVO: José María Balcázar fue elegido nuevo presidente de Perú tras la censura de José Jerí" (in Spanish). Infobae. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.

Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Source: Wikipedia.