Peruvian interim-president José Jerí removed after 4 months in office

Peruvian interim-president José Jerí was removed from his post on Tuesday after only four months in office after Congress approved a motion of censorship against him by 75 votes in favor, 24 against, and 3 abstentions. Parliament is set to convene again on Wednesday to pick a new interim-president to serve out what is left of the 2022-2026 presidential term. This means that Peru is without an acting president as current Congress head Fernando Rospigliosi, the next in the succession line, reportedly declined to accept.  Jerí had been appointed to the post in October 2025 after Dina Boluarte was ousted by Congress over bribery accusations and unleashing a harsh crackdown on government protestors. Boluarte herself had taken office in 2022 after Pedro Castillo, who had been elected president in 2021, was arrested after trying to dissolve Congress. Peru is scheduled to have presidential elections on April 12.  The case against Jerí Jerí faced numerous accusations, among them “allegations of misconduct” and “lack of suitability for the job.” The charges sprouted from accusations that Jerí had unofficial meetings with Chinese businessmen, a political scandal dubbed “Chifagate” after the term used for Chinese restaurants in Lima.  The allegations led to an inquiry led by the Attorney General’s Office over potential “influence peddling and illegal interest sponsorship.” The legal probe is based on two meetings Jerí had with a Chinese businessman named Zhihua Yang that were made public by the press. According to the Peruvian press, Yang is a businessman with interests in multiple economic sectors in the country.  The first encounter took place on the evening of December 26 at a Chinese restaurant where Jerí arrived wearing a hoodie. The second happened on January 6 at a goods store, where he was seen wearing sunglasses.  The interim-president acknowledged both meetings and apologized for their irregular nature, but denied any wrongdoing. Jerí, however, offered conflicting versions when trying to explain what was discussed. On one occasion, he said they were chance social encounters, but shifted gears shortly after and claimed the meeting had revolved around the planning of a Peru-China Friendship Day celebration.