Peruvian lawmakers have impeached President Dina Boluarte, accusing her of failing to tackle the country’s growing wave of violent crime and corruption scandals.
Her removal marks yet another chapter in Peru’s political instability, which has seen seven presidents in just nine years.
Boluarte, 63, was ousted after a late-night session of Congress on Thursday, where lawmakers cited her “permanent moral incapacity” to govern.
The impeachment motion gained overwhelming support across party lines, including from former allies.
The vote ended with 118 legislators in favor of her removal, prompting loud celebrations outside the Parliament building in Lima.
Protesters carried signs that read “Down with Dina,” cheering the decision to remove a leader many accused of ignoring their suffering amid a crime surge.
Shortly after the vote, 38-year-old Congress head José Jeri was sworn in as Peru’s new interim president.
He pledged to lead a transitional government until fresh elections scheduled for April 2026.
“The main enemy is outside, in the streets the criminal gangs, the crime groups,” Jeri declared. “We must declare war on them.”
Boluarte’s downfall followed months of mounting anger over rampant extortion, kidnappings, and murders across Peru.
Her administration had struggled to control organized crime, and critics accused her of being detached from the country’s security crisis.
The now-removed president also faced several corruption investigations, including allegations that she failed to declare expensive gifts such as luxury watches and jewelry a scandal that came to be known as “Rolexgate.”
She also drew public outrage in July when she approved a significant pay raise for herself despite widespread poverty and unemployment.
In a video released after her impeachment, Boluarte defended her record, insisting she had done her best to stabilize Peru after assuming office in