Peru's Congress removes interim President José Jerí after four months in office
Peru's Congress voted to remove interim President José Jerí on Tuesday following investigations into undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen, marking the eighth presidential change in a decade.
February 17, 2026
Peru's Congress voted Tuesday to remove interim President José Jerí from office after he served just over four months, the latest upheaval in a country that has cycled through leaders with striking speed.
The Congress passed seven motions of censure against Jerí, 39, with 75 lawmakers voting in favor, 24 against and three abstaining. The vote was sufficient to remove him under Peru's constitutional succession rules, which automatically end a president's term when the president of Congress is censured.
Jerí faced investigations into undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen who were under government scrutiny. Authorities said he failed to disclose encounters with a Chinese businessman and visits to the Government Palace by another Chinese businessman who was under house arrest. The scandal became known as "Chifagate," referring to clandestine visits to a Chinese restaurant.
The censure motions also cited functional misconduct and lack of fitness to serve as president. Jerí and his allies had argued that the proper procedure would be a formal impeachment trial, which requires a qualified majority of 87 votes among the 130 lawmakers, rather than a simple censure motion. However, Jerí stated he would respect the Congress's decision.
Jerí assumed the presidency in October after presiding over the removal of his predecessor, Dina Boluarte, who was impeached for "moral incapacity" amid a security crisis. Boluarte had herself replaced the last democratically elected president, Pedro Castillo, in December 2022 after he too was impeached.
With Jerí's removal, Peru will have its eighth president in a decade to leave office before completing a full term. One predecessor stepped down within days of taking office. Jerí becomes the third consecutive president to be removed by Congress.
The Congress will vote Wednesday to elect a new president, who will automatically assume the interim presidency until July 28, 2026. Peru is scheduled to hold general elections on April 12, at which point power will transfer to the elected candidate. The presidency will remain vacant for more than 24 hours following the Congress's decision, a situation without precedent in Peru's recent history.
Jerí had served as president of Congress before ascending to the presidency. He was 39 years old at the time of his removal and had held the interim presidency for approximately 130 days.