The Peruvian Congress removed interim President José Jerí from office on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, less than two months before general elections are scheduled to take place. The move marks the eighth change in presidential leadership for the Andean nation in nearly a decade of political instability, a period that began following the 2016 elections.
With 75 votes in favor, 24 against, and 3 abstentions, the Peruvian legislature voted to remove Jerí following investigations into his brief, four-month tenure. The investigations centered on several semi-clandestine meetings with Chinese contractors who have been awarded state contracts, and alleged irregularities in the hiring of officials who previously met with him at the Government Palace, according to reports from CNN Español and Univision.
Jerí had been serving as interim President in his capacity as President of Congress following the impeachment of President Dina Boluarte in October of last year. As a result of the censure, he automatically loses his position as head of state.
In a last-ditch effort to remain in power, Jerí’s party, Somos Perú, proposed suspending the debate and pursuing removal through a process of *vacancia* – a form of presidential impeachment – which would have required a two-thirds majority vote in the chamber. This proposal was rejected by the majority of Parliament, as reported by La República.
The conservative bloc of parties that control Congress, and which initially supported Jerí’s rise to power, withdrew their support in recent weeks as the President’s popularity declined amid revelations of the meetings and investigations. The move appears intended to distance themselves from the growing scandal, according to CNN Español.
The only party to maintain its unified support for Jerí was the Fujimorismo party, despite opposing previous changes in presidential leadership promoted by other parties in the past.
While Jerí could have participated in the session in his capacity as a congressman, he chose to remain at the Government Palace, where he presided over a changing of the guard, according to reports.
Jerí’s ascent to the presidency was rapid. He entered Congress in the 2021 elections as a substitute for former President Martín Vizcarra, who was disqualified, and quickly rose from an unknown legislator to chairing parliamentary committees, then leading the legislature itself, before ultimately assuming the presidency following Boluarte’s removal.
Although he initially focused his mandate on combating organized crime, his popularity waned as reports surfaced of secret meetings with Chinese businessmen, including one where he reportedly attempted to conceal his identity with a hood, according to La República.
The Peruvian legislature is scheduled to elect a new congressional president on Wednesday, February 18, who will immediately become the interim President of the Republic until July 28, when the next president or president-elect, chosen through the ongoing electoral process, is sworn into office.