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Peru's revolving presidential door

Peru's revolving presidential door

Rule Changes

A Decade of Congressional Removals and Constitutional Crisis

February 18th, 2026: Congress elects new interim president

Overview

Peru swore in its eighth president in a decade on February 18, 2026, hours after Congress removed José Jerí over undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman. The vote—75 in favor, 24 against—marked the second presidential ouster in less than six months and the latest use of a constitutional provision so vaguely worded that legislators can remove any president they choose.

The mechanism driving this instability is Article 113 of Peru's 1993 constitution, which allows Congress to declare a president has 'permanent moral incapacity' without defining what that means. Since 2016, Congress has used this clause or the threat of it to cycle through seven leaders. Meanwhile, organized crime has metastasized: extortion complaints have risen 540 percent since 2023, and over 75 percent of Peruvians now report being afraid to leave their homes. The country holds general elections on April 12, but whoever wins will inherit a state where Congress holds de facto power over the executive.

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Key Indicators

8
Presidents in 10 years
Peru has had eight different heads of state since 2016, more than any other democracy in the period.
540%
Extortion increase
Reported extortion complaints surged from 2023 to over 15,000 in 2024, with 2025 on pace to set another record.
75%
Fear leaving home
Three-quarters of Peruvians report being scared when leaving their homes due to the crime wave.
36
Presidential candidates
A record number of candidates registered for the April 2026 election, reflecting public fragmentation.

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Timeline Five events from this story — drag them oldest to newest. Log in to play
Connections Sixteen names from the news. Find the four hidden groups of four. Log in to play

People Involved

José Jerí
José Jerí
Removed from office, under investigation for influence peddling
 Dina Boluarte
Dina Boluarte
Removed from office for 'moral incapacity'
 Zhihua Yang
Zhihua Yang
Under investigation by Peru's Attorney General
 Keiko Fujimori
Keiko Fujimori
Running in fourth presidential campaign
 Rafael López Aliaga
Rafael López Aliaga
Leading polls for April 2026 election

Organizations Involved

Congress of the Republic of Peru
Congress of the Republic of Peru
National Legislature
Primary driver of presidential removals

Peru's unicameral legislature of 130 members, which holds constitutional power to remove presidents for 'moral incapacity' with a two-thirds vote.
AG
Attorney General's Office of Peru
Prosecutorial Authority
Investigating Jerí and Yang for influence peddling

Peru's federal prosecutorial authority, which opened an investigation into Jerí and businessman Zhihua Yang for possible illegal sponsorship and aggravated influence peddling.

Timeline

July 2016 February 2026

12 events Latest: February 18th, 2026 · 3 months ago Showing 8 of 12
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Congress elects new interim president

    Latest Political

    Congress convenes to elect a new legislative leader who will also serve as interim president until the April election winner takes office.

  2. Congress removes Jerí in 'Chifagate' vote

    Political

    Congress votes 75-24 to remove Jerí over the undisclosed meetings. He becomes the second president ousted in under five months.

  3. Second undisclosed Jerí-Yang meeting

    Scandal

    Jerí meets Yang again at a Chinese goods store, arriving in sunglasses. This meeting is also not disclosed officially.

  4. Jerí meets Chinese businessman in disguise

    Scandal

    President Jerí enters a Lima restaurant wearing a hoodie to meet businessman Zhihua Yang. The meeting is not recorded in presidential logs.

  5. Congress unanimously removes Boluarte

    Political

    Following a military club shooting and public outrage over crime, Congress votes 121-0 to remove Boluarte. José Jerí becomes president.

  6. State of emergency declared over crime

    Security

    Government declares third state of emergency in a year, suspending basic liberties to combat the crime wave.

  7. Castillo removed after failed self-coup

    Political

    Castillo attempts to dissolve Congress unconstitutionally. Congress removes him within hours. VP Dina Boluarte becomes president.

  8. Pedro Castillo inaugurated

    Political

    Left-wing rural schoolteacher Castillo becomes president after defeating Keiko Fujimori in the runoff.

  9. Merino resigns after five days

    Political

    After protests leave two dead and 200 injured, Merino resigns. Francisco Sagasti becomes interim president.

  10. Congress removes Vizcarra

    Political

    Congress ousts President Vizcarra for 'moral incapacity' over corruption allegations. Manuel Merino becomes president.

  11. PPK resigns ahead of impeachment

    Political

    Kuczynski resigns over Odebrecht bribery allegations on the eve of an impeachment vote. VP Martín Vizcarra becomes president.

  12. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski inaugurated

    Political

    PPK becomes president after narrowly defeating Keiko Fujimori, beginning the period of acute instability.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

February 1992 – 1994

Italy's Tangentopoli Scandal (1992–1994)

Judge Antonio Di Pietro arrested a Socialist Party official for bribery in February 1992, triggering the 'Mani Pulite' (Clean Hands) investigation. Over two years, prosecutors revealed that bribes worth $4 billion annually flowed between businesses and politicians. More than half of parliament came under indictment. Prime Minister Bettino Craxi fled to Tunisia to avoid conviction.

Then

All four governing parties dissolved. The 'First Republic' political system collapsed entirely.

Now

Italy's 'Second Republic' emerged with new parties, but systemic reform proved elusive. Political instability continued with frequent government changes.

Why this matters now

Peru's crisis shares the pattern of endemic corruption destroying public trust in institutions. But where Italy's crisis led to complete party realignment, Peru's instability operates within unchanged constitutional structures, allowing the same dynamics to repeat.

September 2006 – present

Thailand's Constitutional Court Removals (2006–2025)

The Thai military overthrew elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006, then rewrote the constitution to expand judicial power over elected officials. The Constitutional Court subsequently removed multiple prime ministers—including Thaksin's sister Yingluk in 2014 and his daughter Paetongtarn in 2025—on ethics or election violation charges. A second coup in 2014 reinforced military dominance.

Then

Each removal triggered new elections that returned pro-Thaksin parties, perpetuating the cycle.

Now

Thailand developed a hybrid system where elected governments operate under constant threat of judicial or military intervention.

Why this matters now

Peru's Congress functions similarly to Thailand's Constitutional Court: an unelected or semi-accountable body that can override electoral results through vaguely defined constitutional mechanisms. Both cases show how institutional design can hollow out democratic governance.

February 1997 – November 2007

Ecuador's Presidential Instability (1997–2007)

Ecuador cycled through seven presidents in a decade, with Congress removing Abdalá Bucaram in 1997 for 'mental incapacity' and Lucio Gutiérrez in 2005 for 'abandoning his post.' Mass street protests typically preceded or accompanied congressional action. Economic crises and corruption scandals drove public anger.

Then

Each removal brought only temporary political reconfiguration without addressing underlying grievances.

Now

Rafael Correa's 2007 election and subsequent constitutional rewrite ended the cycle by concentrating power in the executive, trading instability for a different set of governance problems.

Why this matters now

Ecuador shows that congressional removal powers, combined with public protests and weak party systems, can create sustained instability. Peru has replicated this pattern but without Ecuador's eventual authoritarian consolidation—so far.

Sources

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TIME CNN BusinessWorld Al Jazeera NBC News Wikipedia Americas Society/Council of the Americas Atlantic Council Human Rights Watch ConstitutionNet South China Morning Post CNN