On Monday night Peruvian lawmakers voted by an overwhelming majority to impeach President Martín Vizcarra on account of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and corruption allegations that date back to his tenure as Moquegua governor from 2011 to 2014.
A two-thirds majority, or 87 votes, were required in order to remove Vizcarra from office. Ultimately, 105 legislators voted in favor of his impeachment, with 19 votes against and four abstentions. One of the congressional lawmakers who voted in favor, Robinson Guipoc, remarked, “Because of his negligence and incapacity we’ve lost thousands of compatriots.”
Peru has the world’s highest coronavirus mortality rate and is in the midst of a deep recession. Over 34,000 people have died from the virus in a country that has recorded at least 922,000 cases. This is an alarming statistic for a country that has a population of just 32 million people. Echoing the thoughts of Guipoc, another lawmaker, Maria Cabrera, said, “This is something I can never forgive.”
Vizcarra, for his part, has vowed not to challenge the proceedings, declaring, “Today I am leaving the government palace. Today I am going home.” However, he said that the charges against him were “baseless” and “false”. In his parting speech, he said, “I leave the Government Palace as I entered two years and eight months ago, with my head held high, and ready to face the investigations (…and) the falsity of the accusations within the framework of due process.”
He added, “There is no proof of flagrancy of a crime, nor will there be because I have not committed a crime, I have not collected a bribe (…) They are false facts, not corroborated, an investigation process is just beginning, they are hypotheses.”
In his stead, the head of the legislature, Carlos Manuel Merino, who belongs to the center-right Popular Action party, became the interim leader. During his inauguration speech, Merino said, “This is a difficult moment for the country. Today, the country does not look at the future with hope, but with worry.” He will take the reins until July 2021, which would have been the end of Vizcarra’s term in office. An election will be held on April 11 next year.
The now-former president Vizcarra had previously warned that removing him from office would only lead to further chaos. He also said that it would “increase fears about the viability and institutions of Peru,” as lawmakers can presently impeach a sitting president on loosely corroborated claims of “moral incapacity”. Indeed, this also speaks to the inherently unstable arrangement in Peruvian politics, where no political party holds a majority.
Merino’s appointment has fuelled popular outrage, with widespread protests across capital city Lima. In fact, it is estimated that 72% of citizens disapprove of the new president, while 79% of them looked favorably upon Vizcarra. Vizcarra’s ouster is largely seen as revenge for dissolving Congress last year and for altering the selection process for judges and politicians to guard against the entry of those with criminal records.
In fact, Vizcarra’s successful impeachment follows a similar failed procedure in September, when congressional lawmakers alleged that Vizcarra had ‘obstructed’ an investigation into a $50,000 contract for a singer hired to give “motivational talks to public employees”. That motion was dismissed quite resoundingly, with only 32 votes in favor of an impeachment, compared to 78 votes against and 15 abstentions.
The latest accusation is that he accepted $670,000 in bribes from a construction company in his capacity as Moquegua governor.
Vizcarra has denounced political opponents for essentially turning impeachment hearings into a “custom”. In fact, Vizcarra was Peru’s vice president from 2016 to 2018 and only ascended to power when former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was impeached on corruption charges. Vizcarra now represents the fifth Peruvian president to be investigated for corruption during this decade alone; three of them are under house arrest, while Alan García committed suicide just as police were preparing to arrest him.
Peruvian President Vizcarra Impeached, Head of Legislature Merino Appointed Interim Leader
105 legislators voted in favor of Martín Vizcarra’s impeachment, with 19 votes against and four abstentions.
November 11, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: MARTÍN MEJIA / AP PHOTOPeruvian President Vizcarra