Associated Press
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A pro-government protester talks to policemen near a Congress in Lima, Peru, on November 9, 2020 (Rodrigo Abd / AP)
Lima, Peru –
Peru plunged into political turmoil on Tuesday as anger mounted over the Congressional vote to oust the country’s popular president over his handling of the pandemic and unconfirmed corruption allegations for years.
Thousands flocked to the streets of the Peruvian capital Monday night to protest the sacking of President Martin Vizcarra, discredit lawmakers and demand their resignations. Several non-congressional politicians denounced the ouster as a disguised coup. Some have argued that any new president should be considered illegitimate.
But the outgoing leader, who rose to power after the fall of another president, quickly declared that he would not pursue any legal appeals, despite his insistence that he had committed no crime.
According to the serial succession, he will be replaced by the head of the legislature and the legislators decided the swearing-in ceremony for the new leader Tuesday morning
Analysts described the action by lawmakers as an overt and risky seizure of power, as Congress is already unpopular while Vescara is widely praised for its anti-corruption campaign. The speed of action against the president and a lack of evidence prompted some political analysts to warn that Congress might offer democracy in the country. Peru in danger
« Going after a president and destabilizing democracy in the country in the midst of this kind of crisis without a serious cause is irresponsible, » said Steve Levitsky, a professor of political science at Harvard University who has studied Peru extensively.
The ouster was backed by 105 legislators – far more than the 87 votes needed for the two-thirds majority required to impeach the Peruvian president Many said that they voted in favor of isolating him in the name of their dead loved ones
Rep. Robinson Jobyuk said during more than five hours of debate, « Because of his negligence and impotence, we have lost thousands of citizens. »
Coming just a few weeks after Vizcarra easily survives another impeachment vote, Monday’s action could lead to a new chapter of uncertainty for the country, which has the world’s highest per capita death rate from COVID-19 and faces a deep recession.
Lawmakers have brought forward impeachment procedures over allegations that Vizcarra had received more than $ 630,000 for two construction projects while he was governor of a small province in southern Peru in 2011-2014. The allegations are being investigated, but Vizcarra’s supporters have questioned their veracity, indicating that it comes. From the building directors themselves accused of corruption, the defendants can get any possible time in prison in exchange for the information
In his defense, Vizcarra warned opposition MPs that a reckless decision to remove him could have dire consequences for the already stricken nation. He arrived at Congress wearing a mask with a picture of a condor flying over the Andes, and said: « History and Peruvians will judge our decisions. »
Speaking to lawmakers who have sometimes cried out against him, Vizcarra said that he does not have the authority as a governor to enter into the contracts in question, which must go through a long approval process involving several actors, one for an irrigation project and the other for a hospital.
In Peru, legislators can impeach the president on vaguely defined grounds. “Moral impotence.” Vizcarra told them that such a vote “would raise concerns about the viability and institutions of Peru, and would lead to dire economic consequences”
But in several speeches, lawmakers went beyond allegations of corruption to explain why they wanted Vizcarra out. Many pointed to the high virus numbers in Peru, the deadly lack of oxygen, and the misuse of rapid antibody tests to diagnose cases even though they could not identify the infection early. During illness At least 34,879 people out of the 922,333 infected with the virus have died in Peru, the country of 32 million people.
Vizcarra climbed to the country’s highest office in 2018 after then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned amid allegations that he had failed to disclose payments from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to his private consulting firm.
Vizcarra made defeating corruption his primary mission, and he is one of the nation’s most famous leaders in modern history
But he was unable to make friends in Congress and fired lawmakers last year in a surprising move that citizens welcomed as a victory over dishonest politicians. He has also pushed for initiatives to curb corruption by changing the way judges are chosen and by preventing politicians who have committed crimes from running for office.
Joe Marie Burt, a senior fellow in the Washington office for Latin America, said the trial « is terribly destabilizing Peru »
She said, « It generates a tremendous amount of uncertainty at a time when the economy is in a downturn due to COVID and people are dying. »
Writer Franklin Bresseno reported this story to the Associated Press in Lima and AP writer Christine Armario from Bogotá, Colombia
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Martin Vizcarra, Peru, Congress of the Republic of Peru, impeachment
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